Apple Blue

Paper Crafts:

2012-01-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Being a lover of all things paper, you can probably imagine how giddy I get to find amazing handmade things created from paper! And lately I feel like I have been finding more and more. So I thought I would share some of those recent findings for your own enjoyment as well as my own. Have you ever tried making something out of paper like the incredible creations below? I really want to try this out now.

Such a pretty wreath, right?

And then there are cute, printable animal friend paper templates by Mibo.

Or you could go the "over-achiever" route and try to rival the work of Jeff Nishinaka.

I am obsessing over these Japanese Mini-Shop paper dioramas.

And this paper camera is actually a working pinhole camera [template for sale here!].

Even some of TV's best characters have been immortalized as paper dolls!

So fire up that printer and go find some amazing paper craft printables for a fun weekend project... or create something totally original and amazing! I hope you're all having an amazing weekend. I wasted the day away resting up and chasing away the virus that seems to be popping up all around me. But now I'm getting a second wind so it's time for the next episode of BSG and some cleaning duties. : )

2012.

2012-01-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

I never used to be a big goal setter. But I think that was just because I always set too many for myself and they often weren't very realistic. Or maybe I just didn't believe I could make them happen right from the beginning. That's one quick way to kill a dream... to think it will always be just that. A lovely little idea tucked away in your heart. Certainly never a reality. But then I decided to change the way I thought and felt about goals lists and I found a way to make it work for me. 365 days, one (short) list, a few big dreams and the firm belief that I can and will see them happen. I made one of these lists last year and I completed every single thing (with the exception of some shop-related tasks which I shelved because I knew I would be closing up my store.) It felt really good to check things off one by one... and I am excited to be starting fresh with a new year and new things to work towards.

So I wanted to share my list for 2012 with all of you and talk about each particular goal a little bit more. : )

1. Finish business plan for the store: It's official folks, I have begun taking real steps towards opening my own little brick-and-mortar shop. There are still a lot of unknowns and a whole heap of work and planning to be done... but it's happening. To say I'm excited would be a massive understatement. But to say I'm terrified would be, too. I suppose that's normal though, right? Right.
2. Reach 1,000 followers. I will always be the first person to say that a blog should never be first and foremost "driven by numbers." But I also know that this blog is something I love very much and I would like it to be a big part of the future of everything I do. I also hope that it will be one source of income for me as I start to navigate the world of small business ownership (because Lord knows I will likely be eating Ramen for at least the first year. Ha.)
3. Complete one sewing project every week. I like just about every kind of "craft" there is... but sewing is hands-down my favorite. When I bought my sewing machine I invested very little because I assumed that my new hobby wouldn't last very long. But then I started making things and found that I actually loved it. Sitting in front of my sewing machine is like therapy for me, I feel so relaxed and happy and forget about anything that might be bothering me. I want and need to make more time for sewing.
4. Take a photography class. I adore my camera but I am so clueless when it comes to working the dang thing. I was initially convinced that I could figure it out on my own but I was wrong. So with my tail tucked between my legs, I hope to find a local class where I can actually learn how to get the best from my very nice camera.
5. Dust off your passport. Ever since I lived overseas in Australia and Indonesia I have had the travel bug in a major way. But it hasn't been until the past year that I am really in a position, financially or otherwise, to even think about traveling overseas again. I have a few places in mind and the vacation time to make it happen... so it's happening!
6. Soak up every joyful moment! Living with anxiety can be all-consuming. But I have so much to be thankful for. Seriously. I want to spend more time just being thankful and finding joy in the every day things.

So that's my list for 2012. Do you think I'm crazy? Because I am! Crazy excited for the year to come and crazy hopeful that I will actually get it all checked off the list. Are you with me? I hope so. Everyone can use a little kick-in-the-pants and/or a pat-on-the-back every now and again. 2012... you better get ready.

So hello!

2012-01-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

I miss my poor blog! And boy does it need some love and attention. These past couple weeks brought a pretty abrupt and major change in my day-to-day schedule and I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water with just about everything.

I'm without internet access pretty much all day (which is usually when I would be trying to cook up some great content for this blog.) So... changes are being made and I am trying to figure out how to make it all work. Hopefully in another week or two I'll have internet at work and that will make everything much easier. I'm also learning so much from the Blog Love e-course (review to follow soon...) and I am dying to actually put it all into practice. Lots of plans, ideas, concepts, projects and posts but not enough time to actually make it happen. So frustrating, right? I'll get there soon. Let's just hope this fortune comes true:

For now, I will try not to stress out about it (says the girl with the Severe Anxiety Disorder) and immerse myself in a couple more episodes of Battlestar Gallactica (because it's so "frackin" good). This week I'll share some recent thrifted finds, a basic guide to juicing, my goals for 2012 and the progress of my first quilt! Before I go, let me leave you with a picture of my kitty cousin Amber whom my Aunt and I coerced into wearing a souvenir sized football helmet. I consider it payback for all the nights she hogged the bed and woke me up in the middle of the night with scratchy kitty kisses. : ) You're welcome.

I wasn't even remotely a cat person until this freckly nosed kitty came into the picture. Doesn't she just look so excited about her new safety headwear? Ha.

Black out.

2012-01-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't read any blogs this week so I apologize if this video has made the rounds already, but if not then I'm glad you're seeing it now. I noticed a few minutes ago that a few major websites have announced that they will go "dark" tomorrow in protest of the SOPA/PIPA bills going to Congress. Totally unaware of what that meant, I stumbled upon this video via Craft Magazines website. Here it is:

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

It wasn't until the second half of the video that it started to dawn on me just how potentially threatening a bill like this could be if passed. And I also realized that if it is passed, the chances of it being overturned are pretty slim. Anyhow, I thought it brought up some interesting points and as a blogger it does directly affect me. Will I be sued? Doubtful. But it will completely change the landscape of free, creative, artistic expression online. Censoring its users and possibly blocking the shared creative experience that the internet brings to us all. I immediately thought of the young talented singer no longer able to post videos of themselves singing popular songs on Youtube in an effort to find their place in the world and the industry they aspire to be a part of. I thought of the way it could possibly change the world of blogging and its content. Yes, piracy is wrong but this bill has progressed far past the point of necessity in it's proposed practices. The internet was created to connect the world and many of those connections could potentially be severed. You may think I'm being a bit overdramatic but it really is crazy to think about all the possible ramifications. No wonder even Google is protesting tomorrow.

Just wanted to share with you all.

MLK Day.

2012-01-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

I am so enjoying this extra day off and am totally immersed in season one of Dance Moms. This show is totally brutal, amazing and hilarious! I love some dramatic reality TV when I can get it. This show is so trashy it's good. : ) I'm here to announce the winner of the quilt book giveaway so here it is!

Congrats Erin! I hope you're all having a good Monday... time for the next episode. P.S. If you're waiting for an email reply or package from me it is either in your inbox or on its way. Sorry for the delay but I am finally all caught up. I'll be back tomorrow with something great!

Phew.

2012-01-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

I think I'm starting to go cross-eyed. While doing my duty as a citizen of Denver and watching the Broncos game, I was also working on some new design elements for this blog. My goal is always to try to streamline things and make it easy to navigate. Sooo... right over there on the sidebar under my mugshot you will find links to my Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. Click on through and let's be friends! I also am in the process of linking you up to some of the blog series I will be doing this next year: New Music Loves and New Artist Loves which are self explanatory. I have also decided to take on two new series: The Vintage Fix is a space for me to share unique and amazing vintage products and their back stories and in For Your Consideration I'll be sharing business, blogging and general lifestyle tips. Now you will have an easy way to track down the posts in each of these series. I'm also designing some more blog buttons of all shapes and sizes just in case you want to give Apple Blue some love on your blogs and websites. ; )

You like the fabric I scored for my Amy Butler Gumdrop Pouf? I'm pretty stoked about it. Tomorrow I have a date with my sewing machine and a peppermint soy latte.

1.12.12

2012-01-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Pardon the interruption while I work feverishly on transferring all the files, photos and other various documents from my old computer to my new Macbook Pro. There isn't much that I can't part with so hopefully it won't be too long. And I'm so excited to start fresh with a nearly empty hard drive. Its amazing what a huge difference I can tell between my old and new computer. Everything runs so fast!

Are you looking forward to the weekend as much as me? Are you one of the lucky ones to get an extra day off? I just realized I am in that fortunate group and I can't wait to relax, do some cleaning up around the apartment and make an Amy Butler floor pouf for my new chair! My poor machine has been so neglected for weeks now. So unacceptable. P.S. Monday I will be watching lots of television, drinking tea and eating yummy snacks. Want to join me?

I'm a student!

2012-01-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

Guess what I signed up for today? I've been dancing around the idea of taking this course for awhile now and tonight I took the leap. The truth is, I love this blog and I want to be better at taking care of it. I want to post nearly every day and really use it as an outlet and online journal for my everyday creative adventures. I have been blogging a long time but let's be honest... Elsie has the whole blogging thing locked down tight. Ha.

So hopefully I will learn a few things and be a better blogger from here on out. Because I hope that this blog will be a really big part of the future of Apple Blue in brick and mortar. Have you taken the course? What did you think? P.S. I'm also looking into auditing a business class or two. I kind of love the whole structure of taking classes and having assignments. Otherwise my mind is all over the place. Here I go!

Things Organized Neatly

2012-01-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm just late to this party, but have you guys seen this website? I mean, my inner OCD persona entered into a level of Heaven when I saw it. It was so satisfying, hilarious and artistically fascinating all at the same time. I couldn't wait to share some of my favorite submissions with you all. Here is the basic idea: people send in photos of things... organized... neatly. And the results are just too cool.

Aren't they so satisfying and pretty to look at? I personally love the Big Red one... my friends and I chewed Big Red like it was going out of style in high school. And the chicken salad one is genius!

For Your Consideration: 7 Tips On Finding Your Groove

2012-01-10T10:00:00.001-07:00

This past year things have really picked up for me in all aspects of life. More than ever, I feel a pressing need to figure out a solid system for keeping my life organized. It's something I think about more and more as 2012 rolls on so I thought I would share my thoughts. It doesn't matter what lifestyle you live, you might be a mom juggling family and work or you might be a single entrepreneur trying to maintain a social life without letting your dreams take a back seat. These tips apply to us all!

1. There is no one right way for everyone. It sure would be easier if there was though, right? While the sound advice and good examples of others provide useful guidance, it's important to take those principles and adapt them to your own life.

2. Make sure todays plan will work tomorrow. Sustainability is key. Of course your schedule will evolve a bit from day to day, but set realistic expectations with some wiggle room for those unexpected situations that tend to throw our plans off balance.

3. Build in free time. Every single breathing person on this planet needs time to relax and unwind. The only kind of realistic schedule is one that includes time to do that. If that means staying up a little later each night so you can have one full uninterrupted day of rest on the weekend, then so be it.

4. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses. Adjust accordingly. I know myself well enough to know that by the time I get home from work and eat dinner, I am usually far too tired to sit down and blog for the day. So I have started the practice of carving out a few hours each weekend to blog for the entire upcoming week. I know daily blogging won't happen for me otherwise, so I work around it.

5. Hold to it! But also know when to step back. As I plan for this next year, setting goals and expectations for myself, I try to make sure they are reasonable and attainable because I intend to adhere to them as strictly as I can. For some personality types this is more important than others. But I know for me this is an absolute must.

6. Re-assess your action plan every 3-6 months. Things change, schedules vary. So going back every few months and making adjustments to your lifestyle plan is totally okay and a really great thing to do. Maybe you will have found that you have more free time than you thought you would. Or perhaps one of your goals was always just a little out of reach for you. Make changes so those goals can be met and you don't get too frustrated and overwhelmed.

7. In the face of failure, just breathe. This one is particularly hard for me. I often find myself hyper-focusing on what isn't getting done instead of giving myself credit for the things that are. Life is life. Failure is inevitable. Learn from it and move on.

Let the quilting begin. (And a giveaway!)

2012-01-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

It's that time, friends. I am endeavoring to make my first ever quilt and I am so excited. I decided to make up my own super-simple, modern-ish pattern so I don't get too overwhelmed. A pretty good idea, right?

So tonight I have a hot date with my cutting mat and I'm excited to start making a pile of strips for piecing. This quilt is going to be colorful and busy and definitely not my last (I hope.) Are you a master quilter? I would love to hear any tricks of the trade you might be willing to share. : )

Here is a list of some great quilting resources I have come across that have helped me to understand the basics:

Sew Mama Sew's quilting tutorial section

The Modern Quilt Guild offers great tutorials and also connects you with local chapters where you can meet and quilt with others and learn from the best.

This book has also become my best friend. I looked at a lot of quilting books when I decided to take on this project and this one seemed like the best all-around. I love how simple and concise the book was and how they offered visual descriptions of so many of the key steps. It was the one book that actually made me stop and go "Oh, I can do this!" Taking you through everything from your supplies to choosing fabric to planning for your quilt and understanding its construction, this book also offers some excellent beginners level modern quilt patterns as well as some that are a bit more advanced. I'm such a huge fan that I am going to give away a fresh new copy of this wonderful book to one of YOU! Entering this giveaway is simple, leave a comment and make sure I can get a hold of you somehow! That's it. So enter now so you don't forget because I'll be picking one winner on Sunday night. Happy Monday!

Gadget Geeky.

2012-01-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

I love my new computer but it's making me feel old. The technology has jumped so far from my old white 2006 Macbook to the current Macbook Pro! I usually pride myself on being able to figure these things out and adapt but it doesn't seem to be working this time around. I fear there might be a trip to the Apple Store soon.

And I just have to say: Even though I am insanely grateful to be surrounded by such amazing gadgets, I also kind of hate having so much techie stuff. To me it sometimes seems like a necessary evil because even though it stresses me out I know that it all plays an important part in my everyday life, my day job and the future development of my own business and store. I guess I just never thought I would have so much stuff. I thought I would be living out of a backpack, traveling the world. But this season is wonderful and exciting and I wouldn't wish to be doing anything else. Anyone else have a love/hate relationship with their gadgets? Maybe I just have a complex.

Tomorrow I pinky promise to share a D.I.Y. post. For real.

P.S. For those of you who have inquired about ad space, I decided to suspend my ad program for a little while. I totally appreciate your willingness to support Apple Blue but I also know that there is a lot on my plate right now and I want to wait until I get things back under control. For now you can find some of my daily favorites over on the sidebar. The blog re-design is still underway and hopefully will be completely finished by this weekend. Have I mentioned how much I appreciate you guys? Because I really do.

The Vintage Fix: First Edition

2012-01-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

I was only recently introduced to Bakelite products but am already so in love. Created by the same man who blessed the world with Kodak film technology, this special brand of plastic came into being in the early 1900's and led to a massive product line from bangles to radios. There are a good amount of Bakelite collectors to this day and I just might become one myself. If you should find yourself as smitten with Bakelite as me then here is a great list of ways to tell if what you have is indeed Bakelite plastic. I am a fan of almost all the products but especially the radios and phones.

The Boomerang radio.

Bakelite Phones. (Makes me wish I had a landline.)

Bakelite Sentinel Radio.

You may not be able to throw down a couple grand for a fantastic Bakelite radio but if you have a vintage button stash then theres a good chance you'll find a Bakelite button in there somewhere. Check out the handy guide linked above to track them down and set them aside for those special projects. This has been the first edition of The Vintage Fix. Happy hunting, friends!

Under construction.

2012-01-01T19:37:00.003-07:00

As you can see, I am giving this blog a fresh new look for 2012 and I'm pretty excited about it. However, it is a work in progress! I am whipping up some cute, colorful, kitschy buttons for you to grab and setting up a few new blog series for the new year. I'll also have all my social media tabs back up soon so we can connect via Facebook, Twitter, etc. In the end I hope this place will be much fresher and more streamlined. In a few days everything will be fully operational and I will be having a big giveaway to celebrate with over $50 worth of goodies.

Tomorrow will be the first edition of The Vintage Fix, a new series where I'll be sharing great vintage product lines or one-of-a-kind finds. Don't miss it!

I hope you all had a great first day of 2012 and are as excited about the next 365 days as I am!

All that glitters.

2011-12-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's here, it's here! That magical time of year where millions of people get dressed up in their sparkly best and dance the night away with a drink always in their hand. Or maybe you spend it at home with your family watching all the chaotic fun go down in Times Square. I've never been a "resolutions" girl, but this year definitely marks a big change in my life and business and for that I will celebrate. I don't have anything sparkly to wear but I do have an amazing couch and a cold bottle of wine. Want to come over? ; ) In honor of this last day of 2011 I thought I would leave you with some beautiful things.

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Instantly fell in love with this dress when I saw it on Lizzy's blog.

And what better time to flaunt a Giant Dwarf crown than tonight? ///

Wherever you are, whatever you will be doing... BE SAFE! And buckle up for 2012 because damn it's going to be good. <3

Where have these days gone?

2011-12-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hi there friends! I can't believe my Christmas vacation is over already. Im spending the night here in Kansas and finishing the drive tomorrow. I had the most incredible time the past two weeks and it really was a good mix of crazy, fun times and relaxing, lazy days around the house. I was so blessed with an iPad and a new Macbook Pro and now I feel like a total Apple geek. But that's okay. I'm just relieved to have gotten a new computer before my old one bit the dust. Tomorrow I'll be sharing a fun New Years Eve post before I hit the road but tonight I am making my first Blurb book. It is proving to be much more time consuming than I thought it would. One thing I made time for on this leg of my road trip are antique mall stops and lots of rest breaks. It has been really fun so far and there is still so much more to come tomorrow. Here are some of my favorite Instagram's from my trip.

Scored some amazing moccasins at Ozarkland. I have wanted some forever and had no idea how incredibly comfortable they would be. I think I'll leave them on forever.

Out-of-the-way antique malls are the best. I scored some majorly cool stuff including this Kodak Brownie camera (with flash) and still in it's original box with unopened film. I'm pretty stoked to clean it up, load the film and see what happens.

Griffin and I having fun and being silly.

Some gorgeous Red Glitter Poinsettias I spotted at Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Ben and I at Christmas dinner.

Head scarves are the new black... with my friend Rickie.

My family's house all decked out for Christmas.

Big, bright, beautiful 2012.

2011-12-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

I was just laying here in bed thinking about the past few years and the ones that are still in front of me and I just couldn't go to sleep tonight without sharing my heart on the matter. I know we have all seen lots of posts about bloggers resolutions for the upcoming year and the things they hope to accomplish. Up until recently I really wasn't sure what was in store for this blog. Some days I thought I might just trash it all together and other days my dreams for this corner of the internet were beyond the wildest of imaginations. I teetered back and forth. And then something in me just switched on. It was like everything I have dreamed of, thought, shared or jotted down in obscure places came together in one giant cosmic creative boom. And my lackluster attitude toward the future of Apple Blue was all at once brought back to life. I suddenly felt "ready" to take real, bold steps towards my ultimate goals.

On my recent road trip from Denver to St. Louis, I shared some of these thoughts and ideas with my nearest and dearest friend, supporter and fellow adventurer Julie. I can't and won't ever be able to express how incredibly blessed I am to have people who not only encourage me in my dreams but to have people who really know with all certainty I can and will do it. It's such an amazing thing. Blessed really doesn't even begin to cover it.

So things are going to start changing around here-but in a good way. And I am building a network of like-minded creatives to help me along the way-because I couldn't survive without it. This next year will undoubtedly be my biggest year to date-and I hope you'll stick with me to celebrate every milestone.

Thank you for giving me this much needed time off to be with my family and friends and to reflect on these things that matter so much to me. Once this trip comes to an end I look forward to stopping back by the place where this whole big dream was born (Kansas City!) and dreaming of all the many years ahead.

My slacker life.

2011-12-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been such a slacker in the blogging area. As you may or may not know, I used my 2 weeks paid vacation to go home for a nice, long extended Christmas vacation. This past week was pure insanity as I prepped for the holidays, wrapped packages, and got everything in order for my Christmas extravaganza. My list was long and about half of it actually got done. I realized on Thursday morning that I was just going to have to make peace with that and move on. Ha. So now here I am in the seriously amazing Hyatt Place in Topeka, Kansas with my favorite person Julie and boy are we living large.

Needless to say, this will be my hotel of choice for all future holiday travels. ; ) The lobby is bananas with a full bar, breakfast rooms and wall screens where you can order cinnamon waffles or omelets and they're delivered to your table. We totally geeked out when we walked through the doors and now we don't ever want to leave. But we must! Soon we'll be hitting that open road for St. Louis and I'm beyond excited. This blog will be back to its regularly scheduled posting soon!

Everything really is bigger in Texas.

2011-12-13T10:05:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I went to Dallas to visit my mom and stepdad who moved there a few weeks back. I've only been to Texas once and it was too long ago to remember much. So I was excited to go somewhere new... traveling is one of my favorite things! It was a whirlwind weekend of family, early Christmas celebrations, manicures and Mexican Train. Time just flew by but I thought I would share some random photos and memories of the weekend.

One of the nights I was there we went to Babe's, which is a world famous family-style restaurant that's known for their fried chicken. It sure was good but my favorite part was how cute and cozy everything was. Loved this entryway above.

I also got my nails did. I figured Texas was a good place to take that step and it was one of my Christmas gifts, too. Double whammy of goodness. I think they need to be a bit shorter but I love them. : )

Funny story about this afghan! It was listed in my friend Lizzy's shop and I wanted it so very bad. Apparently I had told my mom that but I completely forgot. So about a week ago Lizzy came over and delivered the unfortunate news that someone had bought the afghan. I went into a state of vintage mourning. As it turned out, my mom was the one who bought it. So you can imagine how giddy I was to open the box and see it inside. I am thoroughly obsessed with it and as soon as I got home at 11 pm last night I put it on my bed right away. : )

My mom also totally outdid herself and got me 5 back issues of Uppercase Magazine and a subscription!!! One of the best gifts ever. It's total visual overload but I love it and they, much like the afghan, immediately found a cozy little home on my bookshelf. I can't wait to read every last word of every issue. I got a bundle of other fabulous goodies but more than anything, it was so nice to see her and my stepdad. I loved exploring their new digs and having dinner with Dallas family that I haven't seen in 10+ years. All in all, it was just a wonderful weekend and I hope next time I can stay longer. Dallas was a shopping and dining dreamland and I want to take full advantage of that really soon.

Funny Lady: Melissa McCarthy

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

For the second installment of my Funny Lady series I just had to feature Melissa McCarthy. You might think I have a whole "Bridesmaids" theme going here but I actually didn't even make that connection until her recent (and hilarious) appearance on SNL. Yeah, I'm not so sharp these days. But the gorgeous, funny, dynamic and perfectly shameless Melissa is such a far cry from her manly, brash and brutally honest character from her first major movie appearance.

If you haven't seen her SNL hosting gig, then high tail it on over to Hulu and watch it right now. I don't think I stopped laughing for the entire hour. She absolutely killed it and I wouldn't be one bit surprised if she hosts many more times in the future. I'll definitely be tuning in each and every time that happens. In search of more of Melissa's brand of humor I tracked down some episodes of her award winning show Mike and Molly. Again, I was not disappointed. I just love seeing her perform and how utterly confident she is... going hard after the laughs that so clearly drive her career. When she commits to a character, she takes it to the edge and jumps. I love that! When I think of other comedians that do the same, the list is short. Melissa McCarthy is indeed in good company. And deservedly so. I can't wait to see what's next for this wonderfully talented actress. Enjoy this charming little skit below that will go down in history as one of the funniest in the shows history... at least in my book.

How 'bout something pretty?

2011-12-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

This post could be deep. It could be interesting. It could be inspirational or informational. But instead I'll just leave you with some pretty things for now.

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I love every single thing about this picture.

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Pretty, pretty free printable tags.

Yikes. Source unknown. But I love the patterns and colors on this building.

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This Donna Wilson throw is nothing short of amazing.

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This months feature on paper sculpturist Cybele in Covet Garden.

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This extra-pretty tutorial featuring the gorgeous Katie Shelton on How To Rag Roll Your Hair. Definitely need to try this soon. : ) What pretty things have you found lately?

new music loves: joanna newsom

2011-12-08T12:00:00.001-07:00

This is an interesting edition of "new music loves" for me because to be honest, it took me a little bit to acquire a taste for Joanna Newsom's voice. It is undeniably unique and quirky and unlike anything I have ever heard before.

She reminds me a bit of Bjork and I think that as a musician she has been received in much the same way. You either love her music and are hopelessly devoted to her as an artist of rare form or you just simply don't like her style. While at the library recently, I happened to see a boxed set of some of her CD's so I checked it out and have been listening ever since. I was determined to give her a solid chance because I love a strong, unique female vocal. And now I can say with much certainty that I am a fan.

There are still some songs that I love more than others of course, but the sweet-as-pie, interesting tone of her voice paired with her amazing harp playing is hard not to love most of the time. So here's to Joanna Newsom! For following her artistic journey and for paving a new path in the indie music industry.

Here are a couple videos of hers that I love the most! Let me know what you think.

Psst... a special coupon code to my Etsy shop for the first commenter to tell me what movie "The Sprout and the Bean" was featured in.

Sponsor Spotlight: Sew Tara

2011-12-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Next up, let me introduce the amazingly talented Tara of Sew Tara! She has been a sponsor of this blog from the very beginning and I am always so happy to have her over on the sidebar. : ) Tara makes a variety of sewn handmade goods and writes for her very popular blog. She is one busy lady but she still manages to turn out a lot of really cute things. Here is what Tara had to say about herself: "Right now I'm juggling crafting, momming and teaching. Along with writing my blog and selling my crafts, I also have a 5 and 3 year old that keep me very busy. My "real" job is as a special education teacher. I have three afternoons off a week that I spend with my kids and I craft late into the night after they are asleep. I have it all right now, the tricky thing is fitting it all in!" Check out one of Tara's cute coffee cozies below!

If you could put together and throw a themed party, what would you choose? Tell me all about it! I'd throw a crafting potluck. Everyone would bring a bunch of crafting supplies, throw them on the table and we would all see what we could come up with!
Do you have a favorite DIY project you have done on your blog? I'm going to jump in here on Tara's behalf and share one of my favorite DIY's she has done. Check out the tutorial for they way-too-cute snack bags.

Tara has so generously offered a 20% off discount to all Apple Blue readers with the code APPLEBLUE20. Click her shop link below and help support this hard-working, crafty mama of two! Thanks Tara, for supporting Apple Blue this and every month!

Website///Shop///Twitter

Nail News.

2011-12-05T09:47:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure I've been a nail biter my entire life. I've never given much thought to it until the past few years and now I'm finally stopping. Or rather, in the process of stopping. A habit like that isn't easy to break. But (and this is big news people) I had to buy a nail file yesterday for the first time in my life! Crazy, right? And this weekend when I am in Dallas I'm going in to have acrylic/gel nails put on to help my new ones grow out. I'm actually really excited. And now I have nail fever because I will actually be able to paint my nails without feeling like it's just accentuating the fact that I have no nails at all. Soo... in honor of my nail fever, here are some colors and nail art that I'm crushing on!

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So cute! (Extra bonus points if this would actually shoo away actual bees.)

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So loving these cute nails, too!

And some nail colors that I've convinced myself I can't live without. P.S. I'm also sort of in love with the ever-so-trendy reverse French manicure and glittery nails. Check out this Glitter Nails D.I.Y. that my friend Lizzy did on her blog yesterday! Pretty brilliant, if I do say so myself. And definitely cheaper than going out and buying fancy glitter nail polish. You get more bang for your buck and it looked oh-so-fancy. I'll definitely share my new-and-improved nails after I get back from Texas. And hold tight, I'll be back later to introduce another lovely sponsor! Some other things you can count on this week? A pretty major bundle giveaway, some sewing projects, and the reveal of my new dining area wall, amongst other fun things. Happy Monday!

Sponsor Spotlight: Lizzy Pancakes

2011-11-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Let's just head into December by introducing you to my super amazing sponsors, shall we? This particular lady is especially fantastic and I have that on good authority because we are real life friends now. Lizzy is so creative, dynamic and has big hopes for her blog and vintage shop. I have big hopes for her too! Her blog is growing by leaps and bounds and her vintage finds are not only wonderfully affordable but brilliantly curated. She definitely has a knack for finding unique, fun things for your house and home. And I mean is she not just the cutest thing ever? I haven't mentioned what a fabulous baker and cook she is either and I already have several of her recipes bookmarked for the future.

These frosted bite-size cake balls look so amazing, right? She may be a vegetarian but there is no shortage of tasty treat ideas on her blog. I think I maybe see a little Fun-fetti action happening in there. : )

An amazing vintage ornament spotted by Lizzy while out thrifting. I want it.

Hey Lizzy, if you could throw a themed party what theme would you choose? Tell me about it! If I could throw a big party for all my friends it would be saturated with maps, lace, and metallic fringe! I am also crushing on milk glass vases in all different colors. Can you imagine tables covered with vintage lace tablecloths and brightly colored vintage china bunched together in a beautiful park? The only thing you need to complete this vision are homemade donuts and milkshakes.

What is one of your favorite posts or DIY projects you've done on your blog? My favorite DIY has been cable art! It's such a beautiful way to deal with ugly black cables and the possibilities are endless!

BLOG//SHOP

Hop on over to Lizzy's shop in a hurry to receive 20% off your purchase. She has a great little collection of vintage afghans and a lot of other cute things too! What are you waiting for?! : ) Shop your heart out and leave some lovin' on Lizzy's blog, too!

My Turkey Day Weekend.

2011-11-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well hello there friends! Did you all have a fun, interesting, exciting, belly-full-of-food Thanksgiving? I sure hope so. I rolled back into Denver last night and wanted to share some of my favorite photos of the trip. As a side note, I love my iPhone more than ever. Not only did it free me from having to take my laptop with me but I was also able to leave my big a$% camera at home. I actually take more photos when I don't have to lug that beast around with me. So let's just jump right in with the best photo of all.

My boy Jack the Labradoodle. Seriously people, sweetest dog ever. He thinks I'm his mom and I gladly accept the role. I want to clone him and give you all a Jack, too!

My flight to St. Louis left at 6 am just as the sun rose. Immediately after this photo I pulled down the shade and passed out. But it sure was beautiful!

Breakfast with Rickie after she got off a graveyard shift at the hospital.

Watching Best of SNL Christmas and snuggling with my little brother in the "man cave".

Easily two of my favorite people ever.

But I must admit one of the best things about being home for Thanksgiving is the day after when all the Christmas decorations come out. It is absolutely mind-blowing and so beautiful to be a part of. There are five full sized trees, three small countertop ones in the kitchen and thousands of ornaments in all. Garland and lights and wreaths... OH MY! This house is my favorite place to be during the holidays. All in all, I had an amazing time filled with family, good friends, nights out on the town with drinks and dancing, cozy days in watching Elf and eating turkey sandwiches, soaking in the comforts of home and wishing it would last forever.

In a couple weeks I get to jet off to Dallas to see my mom and Michael for a Thanksgiving/Christmas mashup and I can not wait! This is definitely my favorite time of year.

Silly, fun fashion.

2011-11-25T11:32:00.001-07:00

I saw this on Perez Hilton awhile back and found it mildly ridiculous and totally amazing at the same time. From the Hong Kong designer Bossini comes a special collection inspired by Toy Story. Colorful and quirky, this collection is definitely one of a kind. With a wide variety of accessories and apparel ranging in price from $100-$1,000... the style and its price definitely isn't for the faint of heart. But the kid in me loves it just the same.

Not today, but every day.

2011-11-23T10:32:00.003-07:00

2011-11-22T09:54:00.021-07:00

I don't even remember how I stumbled upon this house but I have a secret obsession with amazing houses and homes. So when I saw this one I immediately thought "No way, that has to be Photoshopped." But in fact it is not. I want to go to there.

To quote the Apartment Therapy website who featured this amazing home after The New York Times did their own feature on it, "How about an escape to a 103-year-old mansion set on a rock in Narragansett Bay off the coast of Rhode Island? Boston architect Henry Wood shares his weekend bohemian retreat — Clingstone — with The New York Times. Maintained by guests who pitch in with cleaning, painting and various projects, Clingstone is a celebration of salvaged materials, hard work and community spirit..."

I would love to visit someday and help care for and restore this amazing space.

Featured In: The Fuss Magazine

2011-11-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

A long while back, I met my friend Abby at a local Starbucks and we started talking about an online magazine she was launching called The Fuss and I was so excited to listen to her vision and dream for the future of the magazine. At the time, she was in the very beginning stages and told me she would like to interview me (and Apple Blue) for the first issue. Needless to say, I was beyond excited to be a part of it. And now here we are many months later. Abby has worked tirelessly building a team of editors and contributors, shooting photo editorials and assembling advertisers to fund this new project.

The first issue officially launched today and I am so happy for her and all the people who worked so hard. I'm also so thankful to be included and I can't wait to see how the magazine evolves over time. And I hope to contribute more in the future! Thank you so much Abby for having me in your special section entitled "Tiny Banter".

CLICK HERE to flip through the magazine and read my interview!

Ah the weekends.

2011-11-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Was this weekend as productive as I had hoped? Nope. Was it fun and semi-productive and do I feel a tiny bit better about my crazy life than I did last week? Yep. I'll take that as a win. Normally Sunday nights aren't my favorite because I am mourning the wasted time and wishing I could have more of it. But I like this particular Sunday for a few particularly fun reasons:

I had myself a watermelon margarita and it was oh-so-good. Back in the day when I lived in St. Louis it was a tradition amongst my friends to go out for margaritas and Mexican food but since I moved here I haven't yet found someone who shares my fondness for this particular drink. Are you that someone? How does next Saturday night sound? Ha. Even more importantly, this margarita was paired with some of my favorite family members from Fort Collins who ventured into Denver to celebrate my cousins 20th birthday! Afterwards I hobbled down a few blocks, belly full of enchiladas, to see Tower Heist. Lots of fun all around!

I also acquired two new ornaments for my tree! The owl above was gifted to me from my Aunt Jill and was handmade in Guatemala. I'm definitely using it as a cute pin cushion when the tree comes down in April of 2012. (Wink, wink.)

And this cute bird on a twig was purchased at The Sugar Plum Bazaar from Elevated Scraps. P.S. Their bird mobiles are uh-mazing and would make the best baby shower gift EVER. Check them out for sure. I was at the Bazaar on a special mission to have something custom made from one of their other vendors and just couldn't resist this tiny treasure.

Today is also good because I am packing to leave super duper early Wednesday morning for Thanksgiving and could not be more excited. Not about the whole "sleeping at the airport the night before" thing, but the "seeing family and friends and eating good food" thing.

And a few fun shopping scores: a lightweight tunic and knit infinity scarf from Forever 21 and some killer vintage knit fabric that I'm more than a little obsessed with.

I accidentally took a 3 hour nap this afternoon (oopsies) so now I'm off to make a list of things I must do before I leave Tuesday night: including but not limited to a few sewing projects, a trip to the post office and some blogging. How was your weekend? I hope it was just grand! Exciting news coming in tomorrows post that you probably haven't heard (unless you follow me on Facebook or Twitter!)

Breathe in, breathe out.

2011-11-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made the decision to cut myself some slack. To stop worrying about what's not getting done. To stop feeling like everyone hates me because my e-course has gone M.I.A. for awhile now. To just relax and do one thing at a time. I am giving myself permission to be human. I am accepting the fact that because of my Anxiety Disorder there are going to be days and maybe weeks where I just get "stuck." I am refusing to allow the tasks of everyday life steal my joy and suck the life right out of me. I am learning that I need to be careful about taking on too much and I am re-defining what reasonable expectations are for me at any given time. I am unloading the weight of all this and choosing to fight my way back to the real me. The me who laughs hysterically when no ones around over the silliest things. The me that spontaneously breaks out in song and dance for no good reason. The me who is quirky and spontaneous and makes conversation with just about anyone. I miss that me that I used to know. I want her back. I need her back. I'm bringing her back.

/source/

I Heart West Elm.

2011-11-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

So I get this email today letting me know about a sweepstakes West Elm is having for $5000 worth of goodies. Being the frugal shopper I am (especially when it comes to furniture) I thought I would jump at the chance to possibly, but not likely, own some "big girl" furniture for once. Haha. Here is what I put on my wish list and I can absolutely guarantee you that if I should win I will most definitely cry. Not because I'm materialistic. I just like free stuff.

I have always wanted a table like this and I added two benches to my wish list as well. I love it so much but it pains me to think about future moves because this table looks like an absolute beast. But I suppose a free table justifies the cost of paying someone else to move my ridiculously large and heavy furniture, should I be so lucky.

I mean are you dying or what? This is one of those over-sized chairs and the color just absolutely steals my heart away. I added a matching ottoman and I just think it will make for some beautiful extra seating in my living room. Did I mention it's velvet? Oh yes.

I also added this gorgeous rocking chair for my bedroom so I have a place to sit and read. (Or pile clothes, which is the more likely circumstance.)

I also added a bunch of these babies because I have a wall that is just waiting for some beautifully displayed photos and TONS of washi tape I could put to good use.

I'm not holding out hope that I'll win but it was fun to dream. : ) Today is for dealing with some things that are long overdue, spending some time prioritizing so I can get my life back in order and trying to lay out a battle plan so I can get those nagging tasks taken care of before I leave on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. I really want to be able to leave the stress behind and just enjoy myself. P.S. Want to do a guest post while I am away? Shoot me an email at applebluehandmade at gmail dot com and I'll give you the details.

Happy Haul-idays!

2011-11-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

I must confess that I squealed with glee upon finding out about this fabulous giveaway. Not only in dreaming of adding quite a few more craft books to my ever growing collection, but also for the opportunity to promote and donate to the ever-important cause of literacy. I remember reading books as a child and with each word I felt pulled further into the world that story presented. Books were and are so magical to me. It would be such an incredible blessing to me to be able to donate $500 worth of books to the charity of my choice if I win this contest. After much thought and consideration, my heart strings were tugged tightly when I came across the African Library Project. I have such a heart for Africa and the AFL works very hard promoting book drives and individual donations so they can then send them overseas and stock libraries all over Africa. There is such a great and pressing need for the children there to have books so they can further their own education in literacy and just experience the tremendous joy that one book can bring.

To date, the African Library Project has provided over 748,000 books to libraries in many cities and townships across Africa. Amazing, right? I would love to increase that number even more!

Sadly, the country is getting poorer by the very second. And I know that with literacy comes amazing opportunities for Africans to begin to find ways to earn money and support themselves. They are empowered by the ability to read and we, as human beings, should consider helping in any way we can to see that happen. So here's how it works. Whoever wins the contest gets $500 worth of Chronicle books for themselves, $500 worth of books to donate and one commenter on this post will win right along with me and you will also get your own haul of books worth up to $500! That is a whole lot of books! So leave a comment below and keep those fingers crossed that this post is chosen. I made a list below of some of the books I would choose for myself if I win!

1. Print and Pattern 2

2. Little Bits Quilting Bee

3. The Liberty Book of Home Sewing

4. Hot Type

5. Reprodepot Pattern Book: Flora

6. Handmade Nation

7. Pretty Polaroid Notes

8. Microworlds

9. I Love Macarons

10. Restaraunts to Check Out

11. Quick and Easy Korean Cooking

12. I Was Here

13. Sea Flowers

14. Masterpiece Studio A Paint by Number Kit

15. Instantly Antique Wall Decals

16. Worlds Smallest Post Service

17. Curiosities

18. The Watercolor Sketchbook Kit

19. Lets Bring Back

20. Penny Saving Household Helper

21. Apartment Therapy Presents

22. My Milk Toof

23. The Indie Rock Poster Book

24. Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance

Phew! All those wonderful books bring me to a grand total of $491.94. Wow! I sure hope I win so I can hear all about what you would choose, too! Enter now by leaving a comment below... hurry, hurry!

My First Outfit Post

2011-11-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

So lately it seems like there has been a fair amount of buzz in Blogland about outfit posts. Love them? Hate them? More? Less? I'm sure everyone has an opinion and mine has always been the same. And then I read this post and boy, could I relate. Not everyone is a size two and that's perfectly fine. But all insecurities aside (you know we all have them), I have sometimes found bloggers that do outfit posts every single day seem a bit self-indulgent. Not all of them, but some. However, I remember coming across the style blog of Keiko Lynn and being so inspired to turn my dull, lifeless wardrobe into something much more colorful and adventurous. It was like she gave me "permission" to just wear what I love and have fun with it. So outfit posts aren't all bad. I guess I have shied away from them because life as a nanny usually calls for comfy pants and a hoodie. But I am challenging myself to get out of my fashion funk and make more of an effort to get all dolled up. But even beyond that, I am also challenging myself to be happy with how I look and share my little outfits with you all from time to time. So here it is.

Cardigan: Kohls
Dress: XHilaration from Target
Skirt Under Dress: Thrifted
Socks: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: On sale for $20 at Old Navy
*No Spanx were used in the filming of this blog post. Ha.

I Heart Design Sponge.

2011-11-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of the Design Sponge blog for a long time and it has been so fun to see it evolve both visually and in terms of the amazing content. It is one of the few blogs where every single post does not leave you disappointed but rather inspired and encouraged. So when I heard that Grace Bonney and her team were headed to Denver for a book signing of her new book Design Sponge at Home, my friend Roxanne and I were all over it. I definitely dorked out a little bit on the inside when I met her (but I think I hid it pretty well.) Her book is truly impressive. It is such a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, beautiful spaces and inspired DIY projects. There have been a number of books released by prominent bloggers recently but Grace's takes the cake as far as I'm concerned. I don't think I will ever get tired of browsing its pages and it will fit right in my lovely collection of craft books. Enough about the book for now, let's talk about how incredibly sweet and pretty she was! We also got a chance to chat with one of her right hand ladies Amy, who is the main contributor for the Sneak Peaks on the Design Sponge blog. We had hoped we might be able to hang out with them but WOW those ladies are busy. I had no idea. At any rate, it was lovely to meet them and have Graces sweet little message inscribed on my book.

Grace Bonney and I.

My friend Roxanne and I in front of the beautiful display wall.

Grace teaching a craft class beforehand. I was lurking/waiting for Roxanne. Haha.

Pretty paper flora at West Elm.

Hundreds of mini-cupcakes. So cute and tasty.

All in all, it was a great night! My friend Roxanne and I went to eat at the Cherry Cricket afterwards and I had the most amazing turkey burger on the planet. Yum! I hope you all have fun weekends planned. Tonight I'll be cleaning/decorating for Christmas, tomorrow will be an all day craft marathon, Saturday will probably be more of the same and Sunday I get to hang out with my pretty friend Lizzy in Boulder for some shopping and sushi.

Love you all!

Catalogue Love: Toast

2011-11-09T10:00:00.003-07:00

I'm not exactly sure who or how I was introduced to Toast but I fell instantly in love with this clothing and home line from the UK. I love getting their catalogs in the email... so full of beautiful eye candy and insipration. I just found out their catalogs are online too. And even though I will still send requests for their paper version (because it's just so thick and lovely) I wanted to share some of my favorite items and images from their Fall/Winter apparel and home catalogs. Enjoy!

I know, I know. Beauty overload, right? Definitely swoon-worthy.

Go here to see their current and past issues. You're welcome. : )

P.S. I have been on the hunt for some good pallets for MONTHS now and have spent hours going to see some listed on Craigslist and then finding that they were in terrible shape. My boss just ordered an entire kitchen from Ikea and much to my excitement, Ikea gave him 4 pallets to put all the boxes on. So I casually mentioned that if he had no use for said pallets I would gladly buy them from him and he said "No, no.... you can just have them." Brand new stinkin' pallets. From Ikea. I think I'll be heading to Pinterest for some Pallet inspiration. EEK... so freakin' excited.

The dream.

2011-11-08T12:00:00.001-07:00

I don't remember when the decision was made but at some point I decided that my goal was to be self-employed. Truth be told... the means to that end changes a little bit every now and again. There are a few ways I can envision that happening but there's no way to tell for sure. It may end up being something entirely different than what I might expect.

This I know for sure. It won't be easy all the time. I will be met with my fair share of challenges. Life will be unpredictable. I may do this or that for a handful of years and then move on to something else. So much is unknown but everything is exciting.

However lately I have found myself in a bit of a creative funk. It comes and goes. But when it comes around I always hate it. It scares me because when I think about my dreams for the future I feel like there will be no room for falling into a slump. I already feel that way about the present. As a blogger, crafter, shop owner, artist or whatever else you build this creative momentum and it can be a hard thing to keep up. I'm still figuring out this whole thing. And in 20 years I'll probably still be figuring it out. And that's okay.

To me, ever since the decision was made to pursue self-employment, the most important thing has to only put out my best work. My very best. I want to be able to stand proudly behind everything I do. But I'm not all business... there is some party mixed in there too. The second most important thing to me is to always uphold the fun in this journey. As much as I value all of the lessons I have learned from the books I have read and classes I have taken about business and blogging, I take it all as a grain of salt. The only formula I follow is the one my heart lays out for me. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being so inspiring, encouraging and loving to me. I am so thankful for the friendships, both online and in real life, that I have gained through this blog. You all are the best!

Jim Henson

2011-11-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

My first encounter with Jim Henson's work was through the show Fraggle Rock. I remember sitting in front of the TV completely mesmerized and immersed in the magical underground puppet world he had created. What he was doing and continued to do for years after left an indelible mark on me. And I must say that he was was definitely the first hugely creative influence on my life. I thought it would be fitting to do a tribute on this blog to him and all his work both before his death in 1990 and the work that continues on in his name.

As a freshman in college Jim had been asked to create and develop a puppet program for a local TV station. It was a 5 minute show called Sam and Friends and gave him the opportunity to develop entirely new puppets out of foam rubber and fabric and also to play with camera frames and angles to make the art of puppetry more realistic and lifelike. The show was so enormously popular that it ran for six years. After college, Henson began to struggle with doubts about having a career as a puppeteer and ran off to Europe, followed closely by several of his friends and admirers. In the 1960's, he began a very successful career in commercial production. However, his original characters were making the rounds on television with regular appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

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Sesame Street began it's first season in 1969 and Jim Hensons characters originally appeared separately from the realistic segments on the Street. However, due to really poor ratings they made the decision to fully integrate Henson's muppets into the main program. Many years later after the time of Jim Henson's death, The Public Broadcasting network that produced Sesame Street called Jim "the spark that ignited our fledgling broadcast service." His enormous success allowed him to leave his commercial work and focus solely on his adventures as an innovative puppeteer.

In 1976, The Muppet Show was born. During the early stages of the shows conceptualization many people refused to finance or produce the show because they believed it would only appeal to young audiences. Eventually Henson found someone to back his program from the UK and Henson's genius was finally given a real opportunity to shine. It was during the Muppet Show that some of Henson's most lovable creatures made their first appearance. The show also aided Jim in making a transition to the big screen and the ability to create many other shows and feature films that millions still treasure today. He also made contributions to the character of Yoda and one of the songs from his first feature film, The Muppet Movie, hit the Billboard 100 at #25 and was later nominated for an Academy Award.

Henson had a real interest in mythology and fantasy and was able to feature that in two films that still amaze and enthrall me to this day. The Dark Crystal (image above) and one of my favorite movies of all time, Labyrinth.

Labyrinth was haunting, innovative, charming and exciting. It still amazes me how incredibly intricate and life-like his puppets are. Interestingly enough, Labyrinth was a box office failure and was met with fairly poor reviews. It later became a beloved cult classic and it's eventual success was well deserved. In the 1980's, he was also still very much involved in children's TV programming such as Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies, Dinosaurs and The Story Teller (which I have been watching on Netflix Instant!)

I think it definitely goes without saying that Jim Henson has gone down in history as one of, if not the greatest influence in the world of puppetry. I would have loved to have spent one day in his shadow and see him in his element. Although he died in 1990, his legacy continues through The Jim Henson Company, The Jim Henson Foundation and his famous Creature Shop. Thank goodness for that! What about you? Did you watch and love Hensons movies and shows too? What was your favorite?

2011-11-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

Loving the cinnamon pine cone smell in my apartment.

Swooning over this sweater from the Sundance catalog.

Preparing new vintage stock for sale.

My favorite vintage mouse treasure and a plushie owl I made.

Warm toasted pretzel rolls with butter.

Dear Santa,

2011-11-03T20:33:00.000-06:00

This is how Christmas always plays out for me. The 364 days before it comes I am thinking up things I would love to get but then when my parents, brother and whoever else ask me what I want I completely go blank. And then, inevitably, a week after Christmas I find myself smacking myself in the head and wishing I had remembered in the first place. Usually these are things that I would never buy for myself just because they're not really "necessary" and I'm weirdly frugal like that. But this year I am going to try to compile a list of some things I sure wouldn't mind getting under the tree. And why not start now?

Sadly, most of the back issues are sold out but Issues 8-11 are still available for order and it would make me insanely happy to flip through their pages. I am dying to get my hands on even just one issue. If you have any that you're willing to part with you should totally email me and we can bargain. : )

I'm also sort of in love with this old replica Library sign. I would love to hang this above my TV and craft book cubbies. Thank you Three Potato Four so making such cool things.

I love this camera strap from Red Velvet. So cute and made from custom designed fabric. Also much prettier than my standard black and red Canon one.

I have also been daydreaming of owning a record player and starting a vinyl collection. I adore the sound of a record spinning and already have a fun and perfect place picked out for my little music area.

It's fun to dream of having all of these things but we'll see! I think I have been pretty good this year so maybe Santa will come through for me. Ha. : )

Get In my Closet.

2011-11-02T21:06:00.000-06:00

Starting with the dress in the top left corner and moving clockwise: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten.

In a perfect world all of these pretty things would be in my closet. Especially those knee patch tights! I mean really? SO cute I can hardly stand it. I'm so glad cold weather is upon us so I can start layering, layering, layering. Dresses, tights or jeans and a cozy scarf and hat are totally my everyday winter look. What is your favorite item of clothing for the winter? If you could buy one thing from this collection above what would you buy?

Ooooh. Ahhhh.

2011-11-01T11:33:00.000-06:00

Look at my cute new sponsors for November/December. They're pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. You'll be getting to know them over the next month or two as we do some interviews, giveaways and ring in the holidays together. So give them a click and say hello! I'll formally introduce them all soon.

The Owl Costume I made that never saw the light of day courtesy of the dreaded Flu Virus.

Today I am playing some major catch up on my Handmade Holidays E-Course. (Yikes.) I have no excuse other than it has been "one of those months". Next time I think I will definitely have all the lessons planned and posted before we even leave the gate. Ah well, lessons learned. Back to work I go!

P.S. I have the most amazing DIY in the works that you guys are going to love.

Movember Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-01T11:15:00.000-06:00

Such an unusually small number of entries, but nonetheless I am so excited to share the winner of the Movember giveaway! Because free stuff is good.

The magical number 6 would be...

Congratulations! Email Shauna (somethingshidinginhere at gmail dot com) with your postal address and let them know you won Apple Blue's Movember giveaway and they will get that sent to you as soon as possible. And Happy Movember everyone! Let the facial hair growing begin. If you're not familiar with Movember please do check it out. It is a great cause for sure!

Can we just talk about hedgehogs for a second?

2011-10-30T09:30:00.000-06:00

A few years back I somehow stumbled upon the wonderful world of "hedgies". Miniature hedgehogs that people actually breed and keep as pets. I remember spending hours watching the cutest Youtube videos of these tiny little creatures and wanting one so bad it hurt. Okay now I feel like I would be depriving you of the cuteness if I don't share one of those videos here.

Here's one of a hedgie floating on his back. And one that does not like farts.
Seriously, watch all three if you want a good laugh and a heaping scoop of cute.

It seems like everywhere I look there is another hedgie. They seem to be quite popular right now and there is an abundance of amazing handmade hedgehog goods on Etsy. Here are some of my personal favorites.

/Buy here/

/Buy here/

So many cute things! That print is so charming, I'm already on the hunt for that fabric and the bookends... there just aren't words. I dare you to love hedgies as much as me. : )

2006: Part Four

2011-10-29T17:00:00.000-06:00

God had spoken a lot to me about who I am, what my gifts are and some of the ways He wanted to use me to love people. Being in Indonesia was my opportunity to walk that out and flex that muscle for the first time. Because of the communication gap due to language, we often didn't know what the next day would hold for our team until that morning. We all had to be extremely flexible and ready to roll with whatever came our way. In case you don't know much about Indonesia, a huge cross-section of that country is Muslim. Given the political climate at that time, there was most certainly a risk in being a practicing Christian in Indonesia. We risked imprisonment, fines and in the worst case scenario: death. We knew all the risks going in and were taught and trained how to act so it would be known that we were in no way trying to come in and take over.

This is where the story get's crazy. This is the part of the story that you might not believe. And that is completely fine. But this is just me sharing a true and accurate account of what I experienced on Flores. I saw miracles there. A few members of our team prayed for a mans broken arm and dislocated shoulder and he ran from the building flailing his arm and shouting happily. I sat with a woman, holding her in my arms and weeping with her as she told me how her Muslim husband had tried to light her on fire when he found out she had become a Christian. I was given the opportunity to share my faith and story with 7 different churches and saw a lot of people encounter God for the first time. I saw actual demonic possessions. And then I saw those same demons driven out by prayer. It wasn't a movie. It was real life. I was there. Looking back on it now, I can hardly believe it really happened.

Regardless of what you believe, this was my experience. And it was an incredible one. I don't tell you this story to try to persuade you to believe what I believe. This isn't religious propaganda. I have no interest in any of that. That's not how I roll. I share it because it is my story and I love my story.

Obviously, coming back from that whole adventure was a lot to process. It wasn't until I returned home to the U.S. that I think I was able to really emotionally deal with everything I had seen and experienced. The big question was "What does life look like for me now? How do I live out this new kind of faith I found?" All I can say is it took me a long time to figure that out. Faith can not be defined in one way for every person. We take what we know and believe and we do our best to let that play out in our everyday life. What I did not want was to come back from my time at YWAM as some kind of "holier than thou" Christian. I remember reading a book in the weeks after I got back home where the author said, "I am not a Christian. I am a follower of Christ." And I really loved that. I loved the message that conveyed. I am not religious. The love God has for me or anyone is not dependent upon how many hours I clock in at church. As a matter of fact, I haven't been to church in awhile. God won't turn his back on me for cussing or occasionally drinking too much wine. He doesn't hate people who lie, cheat, steal. He doesn't turn His back on people who choose to marry someone of the same sex. That's not the God I know. That's not the God I met in Australia. That's not the God I love. I have my beliefs and every other person is entitled to their own beliefs, even if they are different than mine. If God's love for people isn't dependent on how they feel about Him, then neither will mine. I look to the heart just as I believe God does. My job isn't to impose my beliefs on other people. That's none of my business. If people want to talk to me about that, I will. I'm not embarrassed nor am I ashamed. But that's you... and this is me. My story. My faith. My beliefs. My experiences.

I hope that it goes without saying that I do not seek to offend anyone by sharing this story. If it offends you, feel totally free to scroll on through. : ) But if something I said here struck a chord with you, I'd love to hear about it if you want to share that with me. Thanks for reading.

2006: Part Three

2011-10-28T17:00:00.001-06:00

My time had ended in Australia, the youth outreach events were an incredible experience and my team of 12 were boarding a plane for Bali, Indonesia. In many ways, Australia was not that much different at all as the United States. So arriving in Bali was quite a culture shock for a girl from small-town, white collar America. I soaked in as much as I could handle as we traveled by van to the YWAM base in Bali. That would be our home for a few days before we made our way to our final destination, Flores Island.

Our translator arranged for our travel from Bali (about an inch to the right of the word Indonesia on the map above) to Flores (an inch further to the right, next to the words Flores Sea in white). Because of our limited budget, flying was out of the question. The only other way to go was by ship. Now I'm not sure if we were misled or maybe just wanted to hope for the best, but our entire team believed that we had in fact just arranged for a cruise ship to transport us from Point A to Point B. It wasn't until we approached the dock that we realized it was, in fact, a cargo ship. I will just say that it was definitely not suited for human inhabitants. Because the way the islands are situated, the ship had to travel all the way down to East Timor and around the other side to reach Flores. We were originally told this would be a two day journey. Two days became four. We stopped at several islands along the way but because the stops were so short it would have been unwise to get off the ship and then have it leave us behind.

A photo I took from the ships deck on Day Three.

As it turns out, traveling by cargo ship is the way most Indonesians travel because it is so cheap. We could only find enough space for all of us to be together in the very belly of the ship. We slept on wooden planks for beds and the entire bottom level of the ship was completely open. You literally slept right next to complete strangers. The Indonesian men were quite fascinated by us women and would often just sit and stare at us for hours. There were only two guys on our team so they slept on rotation during the night, at least one of them keeping watch over the girls so we wouldn't be harmed. Theft was also a huge issue so anytime we left our "living area" everything came with us or someone stayed behind. There were rats and cockroaches everywhere, the lights stayed on 24/7 which made it very hard to sleep and despite "No Smoking" signs there were people smoking everywhere with no ventilation whatsoever at that depth in the ship. We spent as much time as we could up on the deck in the fresh air and usually only went back down to sleep or eat. I still can't believe I actually lived that experience. It was miserable and scary and uncomfortable and I learned a lot about how incredibly fortunate people in the modern world are. P.S. I wont even describe the bathrooms to you. The conditions were horrific.

Finally we arrived in Flores and hurriedly exited the ship. We were all so grateful to be back on dry land. We were rushed to a taxi van which took us to our motel. Now that we had arrived it was time to start our work serving the local church, helping the local people and praying for the city.

Hey you!

2011-10-27T13:45:00.000-06:00

Did you kinda, maybe, sorta forget about this awesome giveaway for Movember, an organization raising awareness for mens health and the early detection of treatable disease in men? Because it ends at midnight on Halloween. Spooky, right? What's even spookier is that there are hardly any entries. Free stuff is good, people. And the cause is one worth supporting.

WIN A MUSTACHE-ON-A-STICK courtesy of Somethings Hiding in Here.

So high-tail it over to the post and do some clickety clicking.

Thank you!

2006: Part Two

2011-10-26T17:04:00.001-06:00

After nearly 24 hours of flying my final plane landed in Perth, Australia. I absolutely can not sleep on planes so I was in a complete daze as I stumbled to the baggage claim. With my huge hikers pack on my back I found my way to where the YWAM vans were picking up incoming students. All I wanted was to get to the base and see Molly, a familiar face. I was so exhausted, overwhelmed and scared. I found her outside one of the main buildings and then found out my housing assignment. I was going to be living in one big building. One side were bunks of boys and the other side were bunks of girls. It was split right down the middle and at the end of the hallway were the bathrooms and a big shared kitchen. I grabbed my bottom bunk in the corner and then immediately had to rush off to the orientation. To say I was jet-lagged would be putting it lightly. That night was the best night sleep of my life. I woke up to a whole heap of new housemates that had arrived throughout the day and night. YWAM is basically run like a school. Classes during the day, breaks for lunch. An afternoon break to wander the city or go to the beach. Weekly planned activities. Most nights off to do as you please. And a work assignment somewhere around the base as your way of making sure you did your part in keeping everything clean and running smoothly. I was put in the Registration Office, filing students paperwork and helping to organize the new filing system. I was happy to be there. I like spending an hour or two a day getting lost in menial tasks.

One of the swings I spent a lot of time on. Thinking and praying.

Within days I found a friend who shared my angst about the whole experience and we would often spend our free time in the park across the street venting about how stupid the schedule was and how we hated being told what to do. We both dreamed of just leaving but we stuck it out. I'm glad we did.

Some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen.

After doing more than my share of complaining and whining and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to just be open to the experience. Besides, what did I have to lose? The way I was trying to fix my life obviously hadn't worked. So I made the conscious decision to give the whole "Christian" thing another try. I was reluctant. I had been hurt by Christians. I wanted nothing to do with religion. But what transpired over the next three months, "lecture phase" in the YWAM program, was something so different than what I expected. I set my anger aside and just listened to what they taught. And I caught a glimpse of a God so much bigger than any religion. A God so much more loving than I ever thought He was. A God that was just as disappointed and heartbroken over the state of His people and church as I was. I encountered a God who agreed with me but loved me far too much to let me stay as I was. So, with nothing left to lose and maybe everything to gain, I let Him try to fix me. I was more honest and raw and open with Him and other people than I had ever been in my life. It was painful and scary... but I knew there was a greater good. He addressed those things inside me that fueled my pain and sadness, comforted me and rebuilt a completely new sense of self inside my heart. And after those three months, I was truly myself for the first time in my life. I relinquished the grudges that held me back. I forgave. I asked to be forgiven. I can't explain "how"... but I was whole again.

Some of the closest friends I had there, with Perth in the background.

Three months into my time in Australia and everything had changed for me. Now it was time for my outreach assignment. (The second three months of the program you select a team and nation and you spend three months in another country serving and loving the people there.) After some prayer, I felt like I was supposed to be part of the team going to Indonesia. Our team assembled once a week to prepare for the trip, learn about the culture and also plan and prepare for the first leg of our outreach. In addition to spending two months in Indonesia, we were also going to be a part of a massive youth outreach event working with some of the best skateboarders, BMX riders and "strong men" in the world. In the three months ahead we would be building full sized concert stages, hanging out with kids, watching 300 lb. men rip phone books in half (haha) and then we would cross the ocean to Indonesia for the most intense two months of my entire life.

2006: Part One

2011-10-25T17:00:00.001-06:00

This is one of the posts that I have always wanted to write but can never seem to get it right. I've been working on it for some time and I am hoping that this story will inspire you, encourage you or maybe even just give you a glimpse into my history. It's a bit strange sharing such a personal part of my life with you all... but at the end of the day it is just a really cool story and so I'm glad to share it. This is going to be a four part tale.

The Back Story:

In 2006, I was a very unhappy person. I was attending school and failing most of my classes. I had no direction. I had become a Christian in 1999 but my faith was completely lost to me. I trudged my way through life utterly depressed with no idea how to get out of it. All I experienced was the pain of the present moment... no energy to reflect on the past and no hope to dream for the future. I never ever could have ended my life, but I must admit that I went to bed every night hoping I wouldn't wake up. In my heart I felt like I just needed to get back to God, but he seemed soooo far off to me. Like a dot on the horizon. It was a really dark time for me. I took solace in a growing friendship with my friend Julie, who was also going through a hard time, and the moments I spent hanging out with her were the only times I remember feeling like I could forget my reality and just have fun. During this time I had been emailing back and forth with a friend of mine, Molly, who was overseas doing missions. She worked with an organization called Youth With a Mission. I don't remember how much I shared with her about how I was doing, but she started throwing out the idea of me signing up for YWAM. I won't lie, the only appealing thing about the idea was the fact that it would get me out of St. Louis and at least I'd get to travel. So that night, with a shrug, I prayed for the first time in months. It was a pretty insincere and sterile prayer. But what I said was "Whatever God, I guess if you want me to go to YWAM then you'll just make that happen. I don't really care."

A photo I took of the beaches of Australia.

So I did a little research on their website. The base that I was to serve on was in Perth Australia. "Right God, like this is gonna happen. I would need thousands of dollars in about two months. Not likely." I can't really explain what happened over those next four weeks. I let people know what I was planning and the donations started pouring in. Even from the most unlikely sources. Even anonymous donations left in my mail box. As the funds for this trip to Australia stacked up I was hit with the realization that it was really going to happen. "Oh crap. Now I'm going to have to go."

The plane ticket was bought. It was real. It was happening. What the hell had I gotten myself into? I was excited to get out of town. I was excited to go overseas for the first time in my life and get that stamp in my passport. I was thrilled to have a passport at all. But the fact that I was going to a place that was all about a religion and God that I wanted nothing to do with was terrifying.

I bawled like a baby when I said goodbye to my mom at the airport. And as I boarded the plane (one of many) en route to Australia, it was absolutely the most surreal experience of my life. That previous two months had flown by and now there I was, clutching my carry-on to my chest, completely uncertain of what the next 7 months of my life would be like. All I knew was that something had to change. I was about to get my wish.

A Happy Home.

2011-10-24T13:52:00.000-06:00

Coming to the end of my first year in the apartment and re-signing the lease for another year was a major milestone for me. After living in 5 or 6 different places in my first year in Colorado it feels really good to have spent the second year and now the third at the same address. I finally feel like my apartment is fully decorated and it totally feels like home. I have never been happier in Colorado as I have been the past year. Occasionally I will add little decor things, finishing touches to tie it all together. These are some of those things that make me smile and make this house a real home for me.

A print I ordered awhile back from Elise Joy (no longer for sale.)

Some paint swatches for my bedroom and a vintage VW bus my little brother gave me.

Quirky vintage art in my kitchen.

Craft book stash.

Felt leaf garland and my favorite Three Potato Four clock in the background.

My mason jar soap dispenser filled with apple scented hand soap.

A gorgeous unframed vintage embroidery.

I hope you enjoyed some of the happiest parts of my home! I love it here (especially when it's clean, which doesn't happen often.) Haha. Love you all and Happy Monday!

The Epic Holiday Roadtrip:

2011-10-23T12:00:00.001-06:00

There are a million things I love about my job, but one of the best things is the amazing perks like 2 weeks paid vacation each year. This year I am using that time to take an epic road trip from Denver to St. Louis and back with a couple fun stops along the way. Less than two months away and I am already planning it all out in anticipation. Last year I drove home for Christmas instead of flying and I actually loved it. This year is going to be off the charts. I can just feel it.

I plan to start in Denver and (like last year) stop halfway in Topeka. I'll pick a hotel, order a salad from Chili's and watch Christmas movies on my laptop. The next morning I'll get up and after a quick stop at the drive-thru Starbucks I will hit the road again straight through B (which is Kansas City) and take a very exciting detour down to Springfield to visit Red Velvet.

It's something I always talk about doing and I finally will get the chance! I'm considering it my Christmas gift to myself. And yes, I will be the blubbering dork that completely geeks out. I'd love to meet Elsie and Emma but I also sort of hope they aren't there so I don't make a fool out of myself. Haha. After spending way too much money (maybe) and having some of Emma's treats boxed up for the remaining drive I will keep on truckin' until I see that beautiful Arch in the distance. Almost home and I will have had the greatest adventure. I marked Kansas City because on the way back home to Denver I am going to stop at IHOP KC for their onething conference and ring in the New Year in the best way possible. Pretty epic, right? I am so excited to hit the open road and even more excited that I get to see my St. Louis family and friends in less than a month for Thanksgiving. That should tie me over. I think. : ) Do you guys have any holiday plans that you are just so excited about that you could explode? Do share!

BOGO Ad Space!

2011-10-22T18:30:00.009-06:00

Holy smokes, that's a good deal! If you purchase a Extra Large Sponsor spot for the month of November ($15) then you get December FREE. Sponsors at this level will be included in Tweets promoting you and all the wonderful things you do, inclusion in Etsy Treasuries, the occasional link up on Facebook AND a post dedicated entirely to you with a solo feature, interview and giveaway opportunity. This growing blog would love to have you on board! There are currently only 2 SPOTS LEFT for this sized ad and the Small Sponsor spots ($5) are available only for November. Got all that? : ) Click here for full details.

I recently made some layout changes to the blog but all future ads will be placed directly under my GFC widget. Be sure to email me as soon as possible to make sure you get your spot at applebluehandmade at gmail dot com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Checking In:

2011-10-22T11:21:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! Just checking in and I wanted to share this great message found via a friends blog.

Source: iobad.com via Victoria on Pinterest

I was up way past my bedtime last night but it was totally worth it. I got to have a girls night out with one of my new favorite people Julie, a friend I met through this blog who is now a real life friend and we had so much fun. Dinner, wine, and a freakin' terrifying movie that may have traumatized me for the rest of my life. (Paranormal Activity 3, in case you were wondering.) So after a quick little nap here on my couch I am going into full on craft mode. I am making a solemn vow right here on the interwebs to execute, photograph and write 9 posts for the e-course before the clock strikes midnight on Sunday. And to keep me accountable I'll be sharing some Instagrams along the way via my Twitter at @applebluetweets. So follow me if you want a peek into what me and 43 other cool crafters are up to. : )

Also... the Movember Giveaway ends at midnight on Halloween and you should enter to win a mustache-on-a-stick from Somethings Hiding in Here. It would just be silly not to. And keep your eyes on this blog because in the next few days I will be giving away something amazing and you don't want to miss it. I hope you're all having a fabulous weekend so far!

Follow that wild heart.

2011-10-18T06:47:00.000-06:00

Friends, let's take all of that knowledge we have been fed about good blogging, successful business and the do's and don'ts of a creative entrepreneur. I don't mean to say those things have no value. They certainly do. As a matter of fact, it is those lessons that have either saved me or brought me through a lot of challenging times in my business. But I want to get at matters of the heart. Because when you are without one last drop of energy and face an all-nighter, it is heart that carries you through it. No matter what you do.

The only path worth taking is the one you call your own. The one you paved for yourself fueled by dreams and wild joy. Those are the dreams that will last. I am always coming to a crossroads where a decision needs to be made about this blog, my business and the future of all my dreams. I used to be consumed with stress over those decisions. The "what if" loomed over my head and stole that joy away.

I want to be successful. I want to be a store owner one day. I want this blog to thrive and be well-recieved. I want everything I do to exude the joy I feel in it. And if anything stands in the way of that joy, I will step to the side and walk on past it. We live in a world of online dreamers. People with big ambitions. Women and men desperately trying to carve out their own path.

I'm here to tell you to follow that wild heart.

///
Very recently God set a dream in my heart that He brought to mind a long time ago. It's not quite time to share details but the wheels are in motion. I could totally freak out just thinking about it. I could make up some excuse as to why "I just can't!" But I'm not going to do that. I'm going to trust my wild heart, my faith in the possibility of the impossible and I'm going to remember the road behind me. The road where God was always good to me. The road where I did things I never in a million years thought I would. The road where I travelled for three days in the underbelly of a cargo ship from Bali to Flores Island in Indonesia. The road where I stepped out the door of my house in Australia and hopped onto the train into Perth to explore. The road where I took a road trip to KC and finally made the decision to take control of my life and carve out a career that is just right for me. I have already busted right through the impossible and now nothing stands in my way.

If you have lost your grip on that joy you once had or if you haven't found your joy yet, I encourage you to do three things:

Pretend, just for a second, that anything is possible.
Don't be so quick to dismiss your dreams.
Do at least one thing every week to take yourself a step closer.

Dreary Days.

2011-10-17T15:08:00.000-06:00

It is a cold, windy, rainy, overcast day here in Denver. On my drive to work I have the clearest view of the mountains and it looked like they were getting slammed with some serious snow. This is one of those days where you just want to crawl back into bed, put on a good movie and snuggle up with something warm. Like a puppy. Oh I wish I had a puppy. (Brief blogging interlude where I go directly to PetFinder and swoon over the cute canines.) Anyways, in lieu of aforementioned puppies, I will settle for a few good books. Here are some of those books that make my heart go pitter-patter-thump-thump-THUMP!

In my Amazon cart right now.

Also right here on Amazon.

Oh and go ahead and add this to the list.

For the sake of balance, I feel like I should a non-crafty book on my "to buy" list. Even though I do so love me some crafty books.

This seems to be one of the most noted and influential books about Cambodia's history after the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge. I have felt such a pull to this country for so long now and I will definitely be going in the next year or so. If none of this sounds familiar to you, I highly recommend seeking out one of the many books written about Cambodia, Pol Pot and the genocide that occurred there. All of it largely unknown to Americans at the time.

Well I hope it is much lovelier outside where you are. Happy Monday!

DIY: iPhone 4 Sleeve

2011-10-16T12:53:00.000-06:00

I am knee-deep in DIY projects right now but due to lack of sleep last night and a need for a cute case for my iPhone I thought I might as well share this super easy project. If you can sew a straight line then you can do this! Pretty great, right? The specifics for this project are for the iPhone 4 or 4s but you can easily make one sized for your phone. Just lay your phone on the fabric and cut 1/2 inch out on each side for the width of the fabric and for the length make sure the fabric is long enough to cover the front, back and a little extra for a flap and cut two long strips of fabric. Anyhow... for this DIY you'll need:

Cutting Mat

Scissors or Rotary Cutter

Fabric (2 pieces- 12"x 4" each)

Sewing Machine

Step One:

Place fabric with the pretty sides together and start sewing at one corner of one of the short ends, moving across the short end and then moving up the long side and back around. Stop when you're about 2-3 inches from the place you started sewing (as seen below.)

Step Two:

Don't forget that back-stitch when you start and stop! And make sure to clip the corners, avoiding the stitches.

Step Three:

Now it's time to use that little hole to flip the fabrics inside out. Go slowly so you don't rip the stitching out.

Step Four:

Once you've flipped it inside out, push those corners out as much as you'd like. Tuck in the fabric with your fingers where the hole was and use an iron to make it all flat and easier to sew later on in the project.

Step Five:

Using your phone as a guide, fold over your long fabric piece so it will cover your phone and leave a flap at the top.

Step Six:

Sew each side to finish it up, remembering those backstitches again. And there you have it! A fun fabric iPhone sleeve! You can choose whatever kind of closure you want for the flap or when cutting the fabric use strips that are 10"x 4" and have an open top. P.S. All photos were taken with my iPhone so they're not the best but still pretty darn good for a phone. : )

Pretty Things: The Velvet Bird

2011-10-15T21:49:00.001-06:00

It is one of those far-off dreams that may never happen but it sure is fun to think about. I am a sucker for dresses. And ever since the first episode of Project Runway I have dreamt about designing and creating clothes. So when I come across people that are living that dream I am instantly smitten and amazed. Earlier today I ran across The Velvet Bird on someones blog and loved what I saw. And then tonight I found out she is hosting a giveaway of one of her dresses! Needless to say I was excited. You might want to sit down for this.

"Lola Braves the High Seas"

"Lola Throws a Party"

"Lola Sings the Blues"

That last one is my favorite I think. It is so simply beautiful and I love dresses like that for their versatility. I love all of the dresses though and would gladly accept any single one. All you need to do to love this line is look at the photographs. But what makes it all the more lovable is that 20% of all profits go to www.love146.org to fight and prevent human trafficking in the United States. Yes, it happens here too. Whether I win or not, I will definitely be ordering a lovely dress from The Velvet Bird soon! I hope you will too.

Monday is a fun day!

2011-10-14T21:02:00.000-06:00

Because Monday I will be launching my first ever e-course.

It's FREE! And it is chock full of fun and easy D.I.Y. gift ideas for Christmas and all year round! Each day a new post will go up for 20 days in a row (and maybe a few extra if I'm feeling extra crafty) but once the posts are over, the class will be for sale in my Etsy shop. Wouldn't you rather just have it for free? Signing up could not be any easier. Just leave a comment below with your email address so I can send you a special invitation to the private blog OR you can email me at applebluehandmade at gmail dot com.

That's it. No money. You can keep your firstborn child. I have been working really hard to make sure that this whole thing is really well done, beautifully photographed and unique. And I am so excited to share it with anyone who wants to participate. All weekend I will be crafting and preparing DIY posts for the class. Stay tuned for lots of Instagram sneak peeks via Twitter now that I have an iPhone!!!

Funny Lady: Kristen Wiig

2011-10-13T19:09:00.001-06:00

Now believe me, I would never flatter myself so much as to think that I could compete with the likes of those on Saturday Night Live. But at several points in my life I have been told that I might just fit in quite perfectly with a job like that. The idea of it: so fun and exciting. The reality of it: terrifying and not realistic at all. All that to say, I do so love me some Saturday Night Live. When Will Ferrell left the cast I think many fans of the show wondered what would happen. It was obvious that he "carried" it for many years even though he was surrounded by many other crazy talented comedians.
Enter Kristen Wiig.

Seemingly overnight her personal brand of humor and her fearless comedic talent made her a huge star. She made her way from the small screen to the big screen in no time at all starring in one of my favorite films of all time, Bridesmaids as well as a whole host of others before it. And one can only hope that film won't be her last. In the mean time, her classic SNL skits will do just fine. Like Will Ferrell, just about everything she touches turns into comedic gold. And it doesn't hurt that she seems to be an incredibly normal, down-to-earth person. I absolutely adore her and I hope you do, too! Here are three videos from SNL that literally had me rolling on the floor with laughter. Enjoy!

Who are some of your favorite funny ladies? I have a ton!

Happy dance.

2011-10-13T10:00:00.001-06:00

Due to some recent changes in my monthly budget, I was finally able to order something I have been wanting for so long. AND... because I seem to have a knack for finding a deal I will end up with a huge fun upgrade and extra money in my pocket. How does that happen? I don't know. But I love it.

I'm getting an iPhone!

This is exciting on so many levels and as soon as I ordered it I immediately started looking for fun cases. More than likely I will make my own but it was fun to shop around nonetheless. Here is my iPhone case round-up from Etsy. Support handmade while supporting Apple! Ha.

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight.

I just love them all, don't you? If I only had a million dollars I might have a different case for each day of the week. Haha. Love you people.

Pardon the mess.

2011-10-12T21:32:00.000-06:00

Things are a bit sloppy around here. That's what I get for trying to do a blog re-design when I'm half asleep. Maybe inspiration will hit me or maybe I will find someone to do the dirty work for me. Hang tight, friends. This blog will be looking spiffy really soon!

Blue Jackets and Old Schwinns

2011-10-12T07:06:00.000-06:00

I have developed such an intense fascination with documentaries. They can cover just about any topic and I am enthralled by the film just the same. "Real life" stories are just so intriguing to me and documentaries are a great way to tap into the human experience. When I joined Netflix years ago and came across the huge variety of documentary films I was in Heaven, for sure. One of these days I will make a list of every documentary I have ever seen but I can assure you it is definitely in the hundreds.

For months the Bill Cunningham documentary sat in my queue just waiting for a rainy afternoon and a big cup of tea. And once I had watched it, I wanted to watch it all over again. So here it is. My review for Bill Cunningham New York.

This film was so many things for me. It was fascinating, warm, touching, interesting, funny, dramatic and engaging. For those of you who don't know, Bill Cunningham is a fashion photographer for the New York Times and is well known for his candid street photography capturing both everyday fashion and some of the most iconic images of the fashionable elite. Bill is quite the character indeed and by all appearances does not fit into the world which so warmly welcomes and honors him. I believe it is his vivacious spirit and true respect and love for the fashion world that has earned him such a place.

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If you are a New Yorker and find yourself often in the most fashionable parts of town, it is likely that you will see this smiling old man in a blue jacket riding his old Schwinn with one hand on the handlebars and another with a camera. And if you're especially lucky, he will take a picture of you and it just might end up in the New York Times. New York's fashion community live to be photographed by Bill. The film highlights some of his most amazing work and his everyday life cycling the streets in search of that extraordinary something.

However, it also gives us a peek into his private life as well. His tiny home in Carnegie Hall, lined with filing cabinets meticulously organized with all of his work from the past 50 years. The few and last remaining tenants of Carnegie Hall, interesting characters with gaudy jewelry and big round black-rimmed glasses. His bed is set right next to one of his filing cabinets and he has no kitchen or private bathroom.

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He has since left Carnegie Hall and moved into a slightly larger apartment overlooking Central Park but he had the landlord remove many of the appliances to make room for his filing cabinets. His modest lifestyle is all together shocking and fascinating. One would expect him to live somewhere much bigger and more distinguished. However, Bill has often refused to take money for his work because, as he puts it, "If you don't take their money, they can't tell you what to do."

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So this 80 year old icon presses onward, taking only what he needs to survive and nothing more. He is quite happy with his small and rather humble abode. And I left the film feeling extraordinarily happy for him. He is leading the most charmed life, just not in the ways one might imagine.

Hi there!

2011-10-11T07:01:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to say welcome to everyone from Jodie's blog! It's her birthday... do a happy dance for her! Thanks for stopping by... here is a direct link to my Facebook Page.

Apple Blue on Facebook!

If you're lost right now, let me show you the way. My friend Jodie is turning 32 today and she is hosting 32 giveaways! You can find Apple blue under Fresh Giveaway #1. If you know her or even if you don't, stop by and say happy birthday, entering to win one of the awesome prizes.

Isn't she so pretty? This is her with her daughter (other two adorable children not pictured) Bailey. I mostly know Jodie through her blog... but a long while back, just when I needed it, she sent me a letter that was so encouraging and kind and unexpected and I never forgot it. She is such an amazing mom, an incredibly talented photographer and her blog is so refreshingly honest.

A Weekend In Color.

2011-10-09T17:59:00.000-06:00

Fall has officially arrived in Colorado and with it has come chilly winds and warmer clothes.

Not that I'm complaining. I have moaned and groaned all the way through summer and am thrilled that cooler temperatures are now here. But it also posed quite the predicament. Namely my utter lack of cool weather clothing. So for the last two weeks I have been hustling and bustling my way around town, hitting up all the big sales and thrift stores, trying to curate a new wardrobe full of equal parts cozy and color. This weekend was my final go at it and I'm happy to say I now feel sufficiently set for the months ahead.

I can very safely say that the Amanda of yesteryear would have scoffed at this vibrant, floral, vintage-esque wardrobe selection. And she would have squealed in horror at the sight of the "not-at-all-sensible-but-oh-so-cute" grey high heeled wedges. But the Amanda of today is in absolute fashion heaven. For each item in my new wardrobe was carefully selected so it can be mixed and matched and mixed all over again. With my new clothes all hung from the clothing rack with care, I snuggled up in my bed this morning with a wonderfully inspiring book. Never have I met such a challenge as when the time came to actually get out of bed.

But I carefully marked my page and went about the second half of my Sunday.

Step One: Laundry

I don't think you have been formally introduced. Super vintage chic laundry basket, meet my blog readers. Blog readers, meet my super vintage chic laundry basket. Bought at a garage sale for $2 and given an extra dash of charm with a Mod Podged vintage flashcard. So I can't ignore the fact that yes, there are dirty clothes in there. And yes, they need to be washed.

Step Two: Get thee to Fancy Tiger to pick quilting fabrics.

Okay so, what I walked out with was totally and completely not what I expected. Fancy Tiger is a fabric lovers dream world where colors and patterns await around every corner. I instantly felt overwhelmed with the task of selecting fabrics the way that quilting books say you should. So what did I do? I threw caution to the wind and just bought what I loved. However, I did give some consideration to the fact that I wanted a balance between warm reds and pinks and cool blues, grays and greens. The quilt back will likely be a pale blueish color and the quilt front around the blocks will be white. And I love the idea that I will someday be cuddled under this very same quilt with my family. P.S. The ladies at Fancy Tiger were wonderfully helpful in guiding me along the way and made sure I didn't leave without everything I needed to have a successful first-time quilting experience.

Although this weekend wasn't productive in the ways I expected, I really did accomplish quite a lot. And this week I will be spending entirely too much time with my Macbook as I continue crafting, photographing and posting the lessons for my Handmade Holidays E-Course. It's free and you should definitely sign up! The more the merrier. Click here for more details. Also, enter this amazing giveaway for a mustache-on-a-stick sponsored by Something's Hiding in Here! Clickety click!

Score.

2011-10-06T14:44:00.000-06:00

I know I previously mentioned only shopping "with my eyes" but due to some unexpected cash from the sale of some old clothes, I stopped by Old Navy this afternoon to see what they had. Old Navy is hit-or-miss for me. Some seasons I don't like anything and other seasons I want one of everything. I happened to catch them at a good time and walked out with a pair of jeans, a skirt, four tops (polka dots, floral, gingham... OH MY!) and a pair of shoes that are so extraordinarily out of character for me. However, I am in love with them and so glad I gave myself the style pep talk necessary to actually go through with that part of the transaction. Here are a few of todays scores. So there you have it. I can't wait to rock those shoes with some tights and a cute skirt or just some jeans and a fancy top. Eeek. I love them, don't you?

In the next 24 hours... DIY: Color Block Infinity Scarf.

I heart Polyvore.

2011-10-05T22:02:00.000-06:00

Due to my new budget plan, I will be shopping with my eyes for awhile.

Polyvore certainly helps. Here is what I have "bought".

Fall Dreams by appleblue

Add caption

Granny Chic by appleblue

Granny Chic

Nanny Style Files by appleblue

I kind of consider myself to have three separate style personalities that may mix and match as they please on any given day. The first of these is represented by the first mash-up which I call my "Blair Waldorf Gone Casual" side. Then we have my "Granny Chic" side which loves frilly, lacy, ruffly things and dreams of having a job where I can actually wear cute outfits like that. (Still seriously considering a very part time job at Anthropologie, should I be so lucky.) And then the third set represents the real, everyday me. The "Stylish Nanny" look. I used to just resort to t-shirts and comfy pants but I have since realized that just because I run around with two little boys all day doesn't mean I can't look cute. I take pretty details and pops of color wherever I can get them. I hope you like these style boards. They're fun to make! If you click the links below them I think you can get a description and link of where to buy each item. Happy dreaming and shopping!

Movember Giveaway:

2011-10-05T11:34:00.001-06:00

For shame, I promised a post every single day in October but I was too busy playing mommy to two little precocious boys and I forgot. Hopefully this makes up for it. Two posts in one day. Whoa. First up...

This giveaway is courtesy of the lovely, talented and incredible power couple Shauna and Stephen. : ) You might know them as the originators of the "mustache-on-a-stick" craze and the proud and successful owners of Forage Bowties. All that aside, they just seem really cool right? But let's not get ahead of ourselves here, before we get to the prize I just have one request. Please read this post and open your hearts to an incredible cause that needs as much exposure as it can get.

What is Movember? Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne, Australia, Movember has grown into a global movement inspiring more than 1.1 million "Mo Bros" and "Mo Sistas" to participate. No matter the city or country, Movember strives to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men on the health risks they face, and to act on that knowledge. Thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.

On November 1st, you can register at movember.com with a clean-shaven face. For the rest of the month, selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas; Mo Bros effectively become walking and talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of mens health.

In 2010 over 64,500 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas helped spread the word. This year we can do better. On a personal note, when I was a teenager my dad was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. For several years he had avoided the exam and even misled his doctors into thinking that he had been checked. Thankfully, something told him to actually get the exam done and that is when they found the cancer. Because they caught it early enough they were able to remove it and he has been Cancer free ever since. If he had waited another year, things might have turned out quite differently and today I may have not been able to enjoy the loving, hilarious and generous man that my dad is. There are other men in my life whom I love deeply that face the fear of the unknown and often ignore physical symptoms. No one is invincible. It is vital to take care of our bodies and to make sure that we are encouraging and reminding everyone we love, male or female, to do the same. In these modern times, so many things are perfectly treatable and it is a great tragedy that anyone should leave this earth because they tried to avoid the issue. In an effort to raise awareness, Shauna and Stephen have decided to giveaway a "mustache-on-a-stick" to one lucky Apple Blue reader.

To enter, just leave a comment below. And for an extra entry, I hope that you will open your hearts and help spread the word on Movember via your Twitter accounts, blogs, Facebook or any other form of social media. One comment per entry. Two entries per person.

Here are the important links again:

Movember US Website http://us.movember.com/

Click here to purchase a mustache on a stick!

Shauna and Stephens Blog http://www.somethingshidinginhere.com/

And to donate directly to the organization go here.

I will announce the winner on October 31st. Thanks so much for reading and for your support of the campaign.

A Grand Adventure.

2011-10-03T12:00:00.005-06:00

A few posts back I mentioned my 365 goal list, a short list of big goals to be accomplished somewhere between March 21, 2011 and March 21, 2012. Two of the big goals I have left are to pursue a consignment deal and to make a quilt. I'm excited to tell you that the wheels are in motion for a consignment deal or two but my heart is totally set on this soon-to-be-made quilt.

I know I still have many months to go before my deadline but something tells me it might be good to get a head start. I've never been a big "rule follower" when it comes to crafting. I like the imperfections... it gives it character. But with quilting one little mistake can throw everything out of whack. So I will put on my "Type A" hat and do my best to do this right. Slowly. Patiently. With precision. I had my heart set on this pattern for months.

Although I am not scrapping the idea entirely, I am deciding that for the sake of my own sanity and against my over-ambitious nature I will go for something more basic and standard. Something more like this:

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My fabrics and colors will be much different but this is the basic idea. I have been reading up on the quilting resources over at Sew Mama Sew here, here, here and here. I feel much less overwhelmed. It actually seems fairly straightforward. Open seams, chain piecing, fusible batting... OH MY! Tomorrow I am going to go through my fabrics and try to use what I have because fabric stores seduce my wallet without even trying.

Have you made a quilt before? I would be sooo thankful if you would leave a comment or drop me an email with any tips, tricks or shortcuts. Maybe there is something you wish someone would have told you. Let me know!

Widget Party.

2011-10-02T16:43:00.000-06:00

I had so much fun putting these together... stretching that creative muscle and trying to come up with something that fit with each persons own creative style but also brought something slightly different to the table. : )

P.S. Thank you soooo much for the great response to my e-course, your encouraging comments and the emails from those of you already wanting to sign up. The course and all the posts will start to go up 2 weeks from now and there is a good chance that once the course ends, it will be listed in my Etsy shop. Just a heads up! I'll make sure to let you all know when that deadline approaches though. All you have to do to sign up is email me at applebluehandmade at gmail dot com. Shortly thereafter you will be sent an email granting you access to the blog and then just add it to whatever "reader" you prefer. As the posts go up you will see them right away! Can't wait to get crafty with all of you.

E-Course Sneak Peek!

2011-10-02T12:00:00.002-06:00

I'm super excited to be announcing this e-course. It is something I have been dreaming about since the beginning of summer. There is a charm to handmade gifts that you just can't find in any store. In this course we will navigate 15 great and easy projects for the best and most affordable gifts possible. Some will require a sewing machine and others will not. Did I mention this course will be totally free and will be hosted on a private blog so you can ask questions along the way? Check out two of the projects below!

Why else should you sign up?
Giveaway: three 3-packs of vintage fat quarters.
Mini-tutorials and tips on sewing.
Downloadable holiday playlist.
A round up of links for creative gift wrapping.
A couple bonus tasty Christmas treat recipes.
And all the holiday merriment you can handle!
Stay tuned for the official start date and email me anytime for your personal invitation to the blog. Space is limited. Over the next couple weeks I will be sharing some photo peeks at some of the other projects included.

Free Widget Design.

2011-10-01T10:01:00.004-06:00

It's October and I am so happy. But before I head to get my daily Starbucks, I wanted to extend a little extra kindness in honor of one of my favorite months. As a big old thank you for reading this blog, I would love to design a widget (graphic image with link) for you, your blog, your shop, your band, your traveling gypsy caravan. Whatever it might be, it's a graphic design marathon!

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After creating your fun little customized button I will post it right over there on the handy dandy sidebar, if you so wish. And I only ask one (or two) things in return. Be a "follower" of this blog via Bloglovin or GFC and maybe help spread the word about this via Twitter. Just copy and paste the one below.

Happy Weekend! @applebluetweets is offering free widget design and ad space for October. Click here to join the fun! http://www.appleblue.org/2011/10/free-widget-design.html

The buttons I create will then be exclusively yours to use whenever and however you like. But... I will only be designing widgets through the weekend. So leave a comment below with your link and I will do as many as possible before Sunday night. Sound good? Good.

Love you people.

October Days.

2011-09-30T19:23:00.001-06:00

By some strange twist of fate, I was not able to gather one single sponsor this month. Very strange because I always have a fairly big group of people at least interested. And I blogged/tweeted about it consistently for weeks. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a major bummer to come home to an empty Gmail Inbox. But I would also be lying if I didn't say it is somewhat of a relief. This month I can completely focus on just writing because I want to write and not worry about anything else. So here I am, glass of wine in hand, ready to ring in October tomorrow morning.

I took this shot two years ago while driving up through the mountains with my Aunt Jill. It was my first time seeing the "quaking" Aspens in all their glory. Tomorrow morning I am hitting the road and heading for the mountains to try and capture some of the Fall leaves. This is supposed to be the perfect time to catch the colors before the leaves begin to fall. And I'm really looking forward to a long drive, good music, lots of walks and photos and maybe even a Pumpkin Beer somewhere along the way.

Here's to October! I have no idea what you're up to but I'm sure it's going to be good. I hope you all have a most excellent weekend. I'll be popping in here and there with some posts and pictures as I fully intend to spend a lot of time at my sewing machine whipping up some new things.

P.S. Why the heck not? If you can get an ad sized 200x100 and a link to me by the end of the weekend then I'll flaunt you for free. Email both to applebluehandmade at gmail dot com.

Field Notes.

2011-09-29T14:31:00.000-06:00

Let's talk October. It is less than two days away and I can't believe it. Some of the things to look forward to in October...

Fun collaborations with amazing artists. Blogging every single day (no matter what.) Listing some amazing new vintage clothing in the shop. My first ever food post. A massive craft stash giveaway. Some exciting craft fair announcements. Playlists to share. D.I.Y. projects to get you started on those handmade holiday gifts. My first quilting project begins and so much more...

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On a more personal note, I just can't wait for cooler weather, warmer coffee and cute layered outfits. October is going to be the best month yet to sponsor right here at Apple Blue with lots of extra exposure than usual. Click above for full details and get your email in to me as soon as possible (definitely no later than tomorrow afternoon) so I can get any and all ads looking as spiffy as possible and ready to launch October 1st. Thanks, as always, for reading.

182.5 Days

2011-09-29T09:56:00.000-06:00

Am I the only one who loves and loathes goals at the same time? Usually my problem is that I aim way too high and then I feel totally beat down when my "100 Things To Do in 10 Days" list doesn't exactly pan out. Shocking, right? On March 21st of this year I wrote this post. I called it my 365 list. A short list of big goals and I'm proud to say I have already accomplished several of them. My craft fair season has been great, I did start working on that book, I finished decorating and did my home tour. I'll be listing some prints in time for the holiday shopping rush and I have this quilt project already picked out and I hope to have it completely done by Christmas.

The only thing I am unsure about is the t-shirt line. But we'll see! I have a few great ideas for my first ever e-course (which will be extremely cheap by the way!) and I will hopefully be talking more about that soon. This past year has been a big deal for me in a lot of ways and I can't wait for March 21st to roll around so I can celebrate all of these great accomplishments. I'm at the halfway mark and feeling really good!

Do you like setting goals? Any big goals on your list?

Tomorrow on Apple Blue: A review and commentary on the incredible documentary Bill Cunningham: New York.

Free Desktop Wallpaper.

2011-09-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

I have a couple fun sewing and craft-themed desktop wallpapers for you all! These are all original images taken by me and I hope you love them. Just click the image below to enlarge it and then save as desktop. : ) Love you all!

Vintage Threads

Single Spool

On the Bias

DIY: Mossy Wreath

2011-09-27T12:00:00.001-06:00

I finally retired a cute wreath I made almost a year ago and decided it was time for something new. I wanted to come up with a wreath that would work for Fall and Winter (my favorite time of year). Some of the supplies you will need:

-Wreath form

-Instant Green Super Moss (with mesh backing)*

-Glue Gun

-Twine

-Felt

-Pine Cones

-Any other decorative accents you want!

A mossy wreath is a messy wreath. But it will be worth it in the end. Cut strips of moss and adhere them to the wreath with hot glue. It takes some time to get it just right but in the end I had a bit left over for another project.

Now wash those hands and get to the fun part. Decorating!

For my wreath, I ended up using wool felt to give it a pop of Fall color and contrasted that with some vintage lace on the other side to signify Winter. A cinnamon scented pine cone right in the middle certainly never hurts either. I'm really happy with how it turned out and I hope you like it, too!

Notion Box.

2011-09-26T10:32:00.000-06:00

In preparation for the Christmas craft fair season, I have been dreaming up some new products for Apple Blue. The above box was handcrafted from a vintage yardstick in yellow. Constructed with wood glue and re-inforced with nails, this little box is perfectly imperfect. Just a preview of the boxes that will be made and sold exclusively this holiday season. They will be available in a wide variety of sizes, styles and colors, too! I hope you like this sweet little creation.

I am working on some applications today and I can't wait to share where Apple Blue will be making an appearance. Wish me luck!

New Sewing Space!

2011-09-24T16:27:00.000-06:00

With my love for sew raging out of control, I recently decided to make it a priority to set myself up a great space to create and sew. While my two friends were in town we visited Ikea and I picked up a fantastically affordable and cute desk and a couple boxes for fabric. I also scored a print I have been wanting forever (at a bargain price, too.) Behold... my new favorite place in my apartment.

I think the print from Ikea is my favorite part. I had my eye on it for the longest time and my sweet friend Julie bought it for me when she was here. I cropped it down and will (eventually) get it framed. But for now it looks great, right? I like my workspaces to be relatively clean and clutter-free so this desk is perfect! I'm off to tackle another sewing project right now. You know where to find me!

Coming up...

2011-09-24T13:33:00.000-06:00

Do you have a business that you would like to promote? Would you like to draw more followers to your blog? Are you a supporter of indie businesses? If so, I offer really affordable advertising rates right here at Apple Blue. For either $5 or $15 you can have your own little corner of this website and other great perks as well! Click here for more information and email me to reserve your spot. Thanks, friends!

P.S. I'll be back later today with some photos of my new sewing space and hopefully I'll get to share some of the new projects I have been working on, too!

My Favorite Magazine:

2011-09-22T14:41:00.000-06:00

Of course it is always hard to pick just one. I love magazines, period. I have a budding collection of arts and crafts magazines that I constantly pick up for inspiration and fun reading. This latest issue was particularly amazing so definitely grab a copy if you can. Here are some of my favorite pages and projects.

They have the most amazing home tours. In fact, if this family ever needs a house-sitter I hope they see this post and call me. Their house is so inspiring and incredible I want to move in.

Their DIY projects are unbelievable and so easy. I am always coming across printing blocks and sewing notions at incredible prices! These two projects are just the tip of the iceberg!

And my favorite feature in this issue was their Ten Crate-ivity Projects. You should definitely get a look at the other nine. It's safe to say that I might be hoarding vintage crates for a bit. Flea Market Style comes out with a new issue every two months or so and can be found at most major bookstores and places like Target and Walgreens. I keep them with my books and can't wait to dig into some issues for my handmade Christmas adventure. I hope you can get your hands on one soon and love it as much as me!

Be a friend of Apple Blue in October!

2011-09-21T21:37:00.000-06:00

If you're reading this, then I first just want to say thank you for considering becoming a sponsor here at Apple Blue this coming month and beyond. I started my sponsorship program just a few short months ago and have spent a lot of time trying out different pricing plans and packages. I'm excited to share the details for what sponsorship will look like through the end of 2011.

But first let me share some of the details and stats:
1,648 visitors the past 30 days...
220 GFC Followers...
96 Twitter fans...
A growing Bloglovin' following...
I am offering two different ad packages.

The extra large sponsors also receive the same exposure as the regular sponsors. Ad size is 200x200. I can design an ad for you for just an additional $5.00.

Ad size is 200x100. I can design an ad for you for an additional $5.00.

Email me at applebluehandmade at gmail dot com if you have any further questions. Payment can be sent via Paypal using the same email address and your spot will not be secured until payment is received.

DIY: Braided Fringe Scarf

2011-09-21T11:10:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you but I am a scarf fanatic. It takes some major self-control to not buy every scarf I see. I was thrilled when I found the perfect remnant of chocolate brown jersey knit fabric so I made this super easy DIY scarf.

What You Will Need:

Jersey fabric (I used 90 inches by 15 inches.)

Scissors/Rotary Cutter

Cutting Mat

This project is easy as pie! And here is how you do it.

Fold your fabric in half width-wise. If the width of your fabric is 15 inches then lay out a ruler and make notches at each inch mark.

Next take your ruler and scissors, using the notches as a guide to cut 18 inches into the length of the fabric to create strips. Once scarf is unfolded you should have five groups of three strips on each end for braiding. Channel your inner grade-schooler and braid them up. Tie off the ends of each braid. Voila! Cute new scarf.

Seen here with my new UO dress.

This scarf can be made a million different ways with any type of fabric based on your preferences. If you reduce the width of the scarf material and cut only three wide strips you can create a skinny scarf with one big braid on either end. Yep... I have a feeling I will be making more of these in the future. Easy peasy Christmas gift idea, right?

2011-09-20T21:03:00.000-06:00

The time has come again for me to formally introduce you to the lovely ladies that have stepped out to support Apple Blue this month. Pretty please stop by their shops and blogs!

Tara has returned again this month as a member of the Apple Blue family and I am (always) excited to have her. With Fall right upon us and the season of Peppermint Mocha and Pumpkin Spice latte's in full swing, there is no better way to make those tasty drink stylish and fun than with Tara's coffee cup cozies. Her skills and range don't end there (of course). Her shop is full of cute things to pick from and her blog is a fun place to be for sewers of all skill levels. Thanks Tara! P.S. Today is her birthday... go wish her well!!!

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I live by the beach in southern california with my favorite person in the whole world & our two adorable pets. I love to discover new music, hunt for vintage treasures, & go on adventures. I spend way to much time on the internet, don't like to follow patterns or recipes, & get most inspired in the wee hours of the night. My mama taught me from a young age the value & importance of handmade. I love it all... sewing, painting, stitching, & my true love, paper.

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Photographer, business owner, newly-wedded wife and worship leader. Inspired by vintage clothing and design, interior design, fashion, travel and technology. I am located in STL Missouri and offer photography services to couples and families documenting love, life and joy. I also offer services to niche businesses, boutiques and entrepreneurs.

I would love to Snap You!

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Sew Beastly is my creative business, and the Sew Beastly store is where you can find a fun array of my ruffled accessories. I love working with ruffles, buttons, beads, hand-sewn flowers, and repurposed fabric. The Sew Beastly blog is where I share my everyday life, what inspires me, and the handmade goodness that surrounds me. Stop by and say hi! Sew Beastly is my creative business, and the Sew Beastly store is where you can find a fun array of my ruffled accessories. I love working with ruffles, buttons, beads, hand-sewn flowers, and repurposed fabric. The Sew Beastly blog is where I share my everyday life, what inspires me, and the handmade goodness that surrounds me. Stop by and say hi!

Hello! It is such a pleasure to be here at Amanda's lovely blog.

Discount code: APPLEBLUE = 15% off entire beastly purchase

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I'm a musician's wife who blogs about our life as a married couple. I write about our adventures (at home and on the road) as we make our way into the crazy world called the music industry. Along with writing I am my husband's photographer, social media guru, videographer, etc...or at least I try to be! We have a lot of fun and do our best to slow down and enjoy our time together. On my blog you can also find lots of recipes and some random thoughts I have on life, love, and everything in between :) I love all of the friend's Dave and I have met through the music and my blog and always enjoy meeting more...don't be shy, I'd love to hear from you!

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Blogger and I are not getting along right now but I'm working hard to mend our relationship. Sorry if things are a bit wonky around here for a bit. Just tryin' to keep you all on your toes. : )

A Fabulous Dusty Camera

2011-09-18T06:05:00.000-06:00

One of the habits I would just magically like to have is capturing photos of fun and important moments. I may take my camera but it never leaves my case because I'm too "in the moment" to think about it. And then I always regret it later. Time just passes so quickly, doesn't it? And I want to have photos to remember it all.

And then there was this little fella that I met while getting my mail. I've never seen a snail before in my entire life and I was quite fascinated by him. Clearly snails move faster than one would think because this picture is not as clear as I thought it would be. Let's just call it a testament to his athletic skills and ignore my poor photography techniques and utter lack of knowledge about how to really "use" my camera. He crossed that concrete cavern quite effortlessly. And I was sure to stay until he had safely made his way to the other side of the sidewalk so he wouldn't meet the bottom of someones sneaker.

Although one of my out-of-town friends has left, my friend Julie is still here for a few more days and I look forward to lots of couch time, wine, conversation, dreaming, authentic homemade South African pizza and having a helper to put together my new Ikea sewing desk. I'll definitely be sharing pictures of the finished product and a fun tutorial really soon. I have been flooded with fun crafty ideas lately and have been thinking of doing a "15 Days of DIY's" series. Wouldn't that be fun?!

Allright, I'm off to try and catch a couple more ZZZ's.

Love you all!

new music loves: brooke fraser

2011-09-13T12:00:00.002-06:00

Okay so this one is not really new at all, I have loved Brooke's music for a long time. But her new album is bananas and I considered it my duty to make sure you all heard it, too. I play it constantly especially when I need a sweet, fun little boost of energy.

I first stumbled upon her music with the album Albertine.(Click that link to get the digital CD via Amazon-12 songs for nine bucks!) I've been listening to it for ages and the songs have always stuck with me. She is a woman of faith, an artist with a cool creative touch and a force to be reckoned with. I am such a fan and I hope you will be too!

Her latest album shows off her true talent and creativity all the more and it has been on repeat for some time now. Flags is a fun, spirited, emotional and honest album. It's rare that I find a CD where I truly love every song, but this is one of the exceptions to that rule. I've shared two videos below, one music video from Albertine and one from Flags. Let me know what you think!

And if you just can't get enough, here is one more amazing video for good measure. : ) Thanks for reading.

Story of a bed.

2011-09-12T12:00:00.002-06:00

Confession: I have been a couch sleeper for longer than I care to mention. From time to time I have had an actual bed, but my couch is so darn comfortable so I often fall asleep on it watching TV or reading a book. When I moved into my wonderful new apartment almost a year ago, I had every intention of being a normal person and having an actual bedroom that I sleep in. However, craft fair season snuck up on me and it was more important to me to have a great craft studio than a bedroom. So back to the couch I went. No big deal. And then Ikea came along and so did an idea for a kooky, cute mixed pattern vintage bed. My dream was to use all vintage mis-matched sheets and pillowcases and make myself a little nest in my bedroom. The compromise I made with myself was to get a twin bed and then I would reconfigure my craft space to make it multi-functional. I started the hunt for cute vintage sheets and today my bed was completed.

I made my own duvet cover using a vintage twin flat sheet purchased from The Stash and a super old chocolate brown jersey queen sheet that I've had stashed away. You may or may not know that I do not like to follow directions. I enjoy the adventure of "winging it" when it comes to craft and sewing projects. Most of the time it turns out fine but I have had a couple epic fails. In the case of this duvet, I severely underestimated how difficult it would be to sew a duvet cover that was one side of extremely stretch jersey fabric and the other side regular cotton. I laid it all out on the floor and did my best to flatten and straighten edges and make straight cuts. But when I got to the machine nothing matched up like it did before. So I "winged it". I made use of the best logic I could muster and it worked. My pessimistic thought of "Oh well, I'll just have a cozy fall blanket for the couch" went out the window.

The jersey knit underside is slightly smaller than the top so it doesn't peek out. I have never used a flat sheet because I'm a restless sleeper and I hate getting all tangled up in them. So this was a great solution to still have a cozy, soft, warm covering with the bright vintage top. I'm adding vintage mis-matched button closures for the top, too!

Bonus: I'll be using one of the remnants for an adorable Fall DIY project this coming week.

Little brothers.

2011-09-11T09:01:00.000-06:00

I miss this kid. So much.

Little brothers are the best. Especially when they come with an amazing sense of humor and an even better personality. One of my favorite memories with Griffin was when we went to a childrens museum. There was a fake courtroom set-up and we proceeded to act out an entire skit with him as the judge and me as the witness. I'm not sure why SNL hasn't called yet but it was pretty hilarious. I love goofing off with him and I've never laughed harder with anyone else. I love cuddling up on the couch with him with our giant Labradoodle, Jack, squeezed in the middle. Hanging out in the man cave eating pizza and watching movies. His hilarious and perfect impression of Gilly from SNL. Pretty much everything that includes Griffin is better because he is there. He was one of the primary reasons I didn't make the move to another state sooner and he was and has been the hardest to be away from. Tomorrow is his birthday and I'm so sad I can't be there. He's growing up so fast and I feel like I'm missing it. Thank goodness for the magic of Skype. : ) You might not see this Griff, but I love you so much! Happy (early) Birthday!

Keep on truckin'.

2011-09-10T16:56:00.000-06:00

Here is a small peek into my day through photos. Unedited, uncropped, just regular pictures taken to capture what I've been up to. Still much more to do so I'm off again!

Before I leave... did you pay particular attention to the amazing pillow and it's zippered cover which I made. I had never tackled sewing in a zipper and I was absolutely intimidated. I'm proud to say I did it without any Youtube tutorials or the like. I think they turned out slightly imperfect but overall pretty awesome. (Notice the crease in the fabric because I'm a rebel and don't iron my fabric before sewing. I'm such a badass. Right?)

Come find me!

2011-09-09T10:47:00.000-06:00

Today I am guest blogging over at Upcountry Vintage with a super cute, easy and fun idea for a mini-book! Definitely click here to go check it out!