Home Spun Fun

This is a perfect example of what happens when a Martha Stewart project goes awry. I wanted to do a project with my daughters that would be fun and creative for them...yet, inexpensive. We decided to make beach bags decorated with shell shapes. I had seen a step by step "how to" in Martha's Stewart's, Living (June 2009 issue). We used fabric paint (Tulip soft fabric paint, $1.49 each at Joann's), sea shells from the store near our house and mini canvas bags (about $3.00 each, also at Joann's)... We were supposed to paint the shells and then press them onto the canvas bags...Early on, things were already veering off course...I had forgotten to put a towel down underneath the bags to give them, well, a little ..."give." Duh, Mom! So the shell impressions actually just looked like weird dents on the canvas....the girls seemed unfazed and being "zen" like kids usually are, had already moved on...They wanted the brushes to paint directly on the bags...Worried my entire endeavor was quickly circling the drain, my inner dialogue went something like this... "What? but they won't look like the perfect ones pictured in the magazine? The great star fish shape? The cute little sand dollar?" ...I quickly re-grouped...remembering this was for THEM...their creations...So instead, I said "Sure!..That is a great idea...paint whatever you want to...and you can turn the shapes into anything you want as well." They went on to paint some great designs on their bags... turning the "not so shell shaped" blotches into animals and other designs...from "their" own hands and "their" own hearts. The bags looked great! Exactly how I had expected and intended...Though they were not what I had originally envisioned...We tweaked Martha's (Yes, we are on a first name basis now) ideas and made them our own...Their own - Which was the point from the get go, right?...They proudly showed off the bags to their Dad when he got home...Happy as "Clams." So the moral of this story is..?... Take the original idea and have fun with it - go with the proverbial flow...You'll be surprised where your kid's ideas take you. Another few "tweaks" of advice?...Dilute the paint with a little water...it's pretty thick... make sure your kids wear something you do not care about too much...The paint really works!!!...Remember to check your expectations at the door...and most importantly... Have a lot of fun with your children...& I can almost guarantee they will too.

The Hair Necessities

Don't even get me started on this next one. I am very impressed with Emi Jay. Emily Matson and Julianne Goldmark have created quite a stir with their simple, yet chic, hair accessories. What makes these ladies unique and inspiring is that they are both still in middle school. These designers/entrepreneurs (d'entrepreneurs?) were tired of not being able to find hair ties that measured up so they took matters into their own hands and made their own...The ties are light weight, durable and come in a rainbow of colors - for around $12 for eight ties. The girls also designed them to alternate as a bracelet - Yes, they have multiple functions... After Emily's mom quite accidentally showed them to Hollywood's hair guru, Chris McMillan - their idea took off. They have graced the manes of celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Sarah Jessica Parker and both Demi's (Moore and Lovato). What also has me bursting with pride at these two is that they have their priorities straight. A portion of the proceeds are donated to Locks of Love. You can find these hand dyed hair ties, along with more elaborate hair accessories on deck at Emijay.com and at selected stores...Try Jill Roberts in Beverly Hills. The ties have already been featured in Marie Claire and Allure Magazine. What a good example they set for a younger, hipper and evidently, proactive generation.

Dreaming of Homebody

This is an addendum to my previous post..Since writing last I've learned from some of my very well informed friends that the aforementioned "Dreams" fragrance I referenced is available after all. This is huge news for me because that scent brings back memories of some of my happiest times...It is a rich, warm, slightly floral-y, slightly spicy, yet light perfume oil that reminds me of a simpler time. The scent was concocted, along with many other irresistible flavors (China Rain, Fig, Amber..Some favorites too) at the original Homebody on Melrose Avenue in the heart of West Hollywood. They offered all their fragrances in oil form as well as in lotions and bath oils. Homebody was the apothecary "du jour" and stayed so for what seems like forever. In fact it was just the 80's...A happy time for me at least..When life's responsibilities seemed less daunting. I wore it throughout those years and always received compliments on the scent. My biggest concerns back then were grades (..high school, then college) or where my group of friends would go to dinner on the weekend or whose house we would sit poolside on any given summer Sunday. I therefore associate those carefree days with that very specific smell. Now you can order the same scents at http://www.spiritbody.com or call in an order at 800-838-5507. Thanks ladies for the great news...and the memories.

The Nose Knows

I am sure I am not alone when I say I am often ruled by my olfactory...Scents are very important to me. They can transport me immediately to certain times in my life. Whether it was the comforting smell of my Grandma Snuggy's popovers popping in the oven at her Palm Springs home (..Yes, We called her Snuggy..), or the hormone jolting scent of my baby's head and neck shortly after she was born, or the warm, fresh smell of that great "Dreams" perfume oil my friends and I used to love and purchase from the now, sadly, defunct "temple of scents," Homebody on Melrose in Los Angeles - all these scents evoke memories of almost everything that was going on at the time I smelled them...These days I am partial to Vanilla. That is why I was so happy to have found...Well actually my husband found...a really wonderful and delightfully inexpensive Vanilla Body Wash that I use religiously. The Swiss Vanilla Body Wash by St. Ives is like a spa in a bottle. A little goes a long way too...and at $2.49 for an 18 oz. bottle (at Target), it qualifies as the "cross country road trip" of Body Washes. It is light and leaves no filmy residue on your skin like some can. If you really want to go crazy use it after you have "scrubbed" down with the ever popular St. Ives Scrub (usually under $4.00) which has always been a staple in my "home spa" routine. It's just good, clean and "affordable" fun.

Valley of the Dolls

If you were a little girl growing up in the 70s, or wanted to be one...or went to elementary school with one, you may remember The Birthstone Dolls. Originally designed by Muriel Joseph George in California in the mid 1940's ( ..in 1962 they started manufacturing them in Japan for "economic reasons") These sweet dolls remind me of my childhood. Each doll represents a month of the year with a rhinestone in a bed of flowers as the birthstone. Those stones seemed like the real deal to a ten year old! My friends and I used to walk to the stationary store on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City with our allowance to add another of the twelve to our collection. Today you can find them on Ebay or Amazon. They make a really nice baby gift for new Moms. Unless you have money to burn, I would never pay more than around $25 including shipping. I have found these ladies in excellent condition for no more than $12 before shipping and handling. Though you may not be one for the "brick 'a brack," displaying them in a nursery or on a bathroom vanity hardly seems like clutter...Just a sweet reminder of a special occasion. You can also find newly manufactured Josef Birthday Dolls that are numbered 1 thru 16...and various other new designs at www.josefdolls.com.

Let me introduce myself...

Ok, Well I do not have as much influence as Oprah, and you might wonder why you should take advice for me at all... but, "I know what I like, and I like what I like"...That said.. I have decided to create this blog to share my ideas for gifts, "stuff" for babies and kids, travel and good deals, interior design, and just stuff you might like too!.... You name it!....I will often include links to websites, pictures too...when possible. Though I too, like many these days, need to be frugal ..I will sometimes share my picks for items that may cost a bit more....but knowing there is a balance that can be struck, I think is a good thing. There is always a good excuse to splurge now and then, right? But I like to mix things up...Mix thrift shop or consignment store items with the occasional extravagance..and there is always good 'ole Ebay...Even making your own gifts can be fun..really!...do so with your kids....Don't roll your eyes just yet. Believe me, though you might face some challenges along the way, you will be glad you did it and it will be good for you and for them. Always take pictures during this process. I promise the projects won't be hard, or require a lot of effort on anyone's part. I find that that is what scares people away...those long, drawn out crafts described in Martha Stewart's "Living," I know they can be intimidating. No disrespect intended to Ms. Stewart. I have found you can take some of those ideas and make them your own in a simpler way. Do not worry...most of my suggestions are just a click away.. So here goes...Here is some of the "stuff" that I love...This will be fun!!!