The Pink Samurai

Music Monday

2012-02-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've had this song stuck in my head for weeks ^_^

2012-02-12T14:08:00.002-05:00

Just some fun things I found last week ^_^

Kiki case fromt Strapya. Everything on this site is adorable.

Beat to Beat ring from BHLDN.

Glitter crown from Etsy.

Octopus plush on DeviantArt my friend Jess showed me.

Cat Plush on Etsy.

Music Monday

2012-02-06T20:16:00.000-05:00

I just can't express how much I love this band.

DIY Valentine's Day Pompom Wreath

2012-02-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

I really love seasonal wreaths right now, and I'd been meaning to put this one together for a while. I had pompoms all over the place for a couple of weeks and they were driving the kittens crazy. This one is super simple to make...though making all the poms can take a while. Just put in some movies and zone out and pom. I used these crazy Clover contraptions which made everything so much easier. The large and medium size work perfectly for this.

Materials

• 3 Colors of yarn

• Pompom makers

• Scissors

• Foam Core

• Hot Glue

Doin' It

• Make all the pompoms in all the world

• Cut out a heart shape in your foam core. Mine was 1" wide to give room to glue the poms on.

• Wrap your foam core heart in yarn. Just so the icky foam can't been seen from the sides.

• Glue your pompoms! (Tip: Make sure you find the center string in your pom and glue there. It will lay day flat and be more secure that way)

Here's the other wreath's I made for Thanksgiving and Christmas:

I've already got an idea for Easter...and the Fourth of July. Oh man, I should totally make wreaths for crazy holidays that no one really cares about except they get a day off for work. Doin' it.

I'm a Star!

2012-02-02T12:08:00.002-05:00

DC Reads... from SocialStudiesDC on Vimeo.

I'm in the first 2 seconds of this video ^_^ I work with the awesome dudes who run this blog. So glad to contribute a hot second of my time!

They also made this...i might be guilty of saying more than one of these things...

Music Monday

2012-01-30T22:31:00.002-05:00

It's really late in the day, so I've chosen my favorite thing to listen to before bed. Rocky Votolato's Makers album has been helping me chill out in the evenings since 2006. It will always be a favorite and my go to when I need to unwind.

Sprinks!

2012-01-23T23:48:00.003-05:00

Sprinkle, the greedy kitten,

Sprinkles, she's always gettin,

Way more milk than she deserves.

Sprinkle the greedy kitten!

(Sung to the tune of Lambert the Sheepish Lion.) I hope you enjoy gratuitous pictures of my favorite little girl ^_^ She hollers at me every day for milk and has the sweetest coo for purr.

Music Monday

2012-01-23T06:56:00.002-05:00

Camera Obscura - French Navy

No museums this weekend, so today is a Music Monday! Every morning I wake up a little early and have breakfast and check my internets and listen to music. I like to listen to stuff that makes me happy in the morning...helps me prepare for the day and really get the day off on the right foot. I'm listening to this right now and smiling ^_^

Self Portraits - Jan. 15-21, 2012

2012-01-21T17:57:00.005-05:00

I've been drawing self portraits every day and sharing them on instagram. It's a fun daily exercise...and it helps me keep track of my outfits, ha. I figured each Saturday I could share the weeks worth ^_^

Whiterock Overlook

2012-01-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

On our honeymoon to Santa Fe, we took some time to visit a special scenic overlook called Whiterock Overlook. We stopped off here on the way to Bandolier, which I'll share next week. But the overlook was just so amazingly breath-taking. I could've stayed there all day. And I'm convinced that sunrise and sunset there would be so beautiful I'd just throw up everywhere.

This waterfall and stream were so gorgeous. It was so quiet you could hear the water falling and the river babbling.

A closer shot.

The other side of this cactus is oblivion! I made poor Andy so nervous by playing at the edge.

But he stood pretty close, too ^_^

I love cacti! Succulents are my favorites.

The Rio Grand. We could hear the rushing river! I just can't accurately describe how amazing it is to hear that and be surrounded by such natural beauty.

We bought a Holga at a small photo shop on the plaza and had so much taking pictures! I'll share what we got developed from it and the Lomo we brought along ^_^

Newlyweds!

That's the very edge of the mesa.

See that railing? See that shear drop? Yeah. I'm a badass.

Getting out there on the edge of a mesa was no problem. But turning around and have my perif just be a straight drop more than 100 feet down was...disconcerting. But I was on the edge of an effing mesa!!! So awesome.

This last one is from Andy's instagram ^_^

I still can't get over how gorgeous it was there. So peaceful and quiet, with a cool breeze blowing and the sound of the river rushing and the waterfall quietly rolling over the rocks behind us. Just phenomenal.

Day Off Fun

2012-01-16T16:37:00.002-05:00

We're enjoying a fun day off...filled with planning and blogging and drawing and kittens and shopping and movies and videogames and everything good! Turks has had an extension of the weekend, and for WeekendCat, that's the best possible outcome for a Monday.

I'm about to write a quick post about the DC Tattoo Expo this weekend, but I got distracted by the kitten on my lap and the sale that modcloth is having right now ^_^ I'll try to concentrate, since I'm pretty excited to share some news regarding the expo!

<3

DC Tattoo Expo

2012-01-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

So coming out of the Metro on Thursday night after work, we were greeting by this giant sign infront of the perpetually-under-construction Einstein Bagels in the lobby of the Marriot. It sounds ridiculous, but Crystal City is a ridiculous place. Anyway! Tattoos!!!

When we got home, I googled the expo and peeped through all the artists that were there and decided we'd go during the weekend. I had an inkling of a thought that I'd get something done, but to my Mom's relief, I went the weekend without any new ink. BUT! I did find an artist who's work I feel in love with. Cyn Rudzis of Cirque du Rouge Tattoo and Piercing has the most amazing work! We stopped by the expo to see what it was all about and to stop by her shop's booth. Here's some shots of the show...

This last pic was from the Ciruqe du Rouge booth. Liaa was just finishing up a gorgeous peacock. We didn't end up talking to anyone, just snapped some iPhone pics and admired some really great work. That night, though, I sent quick email to Cyn and her shop, seeing about getting on to her waitlist. Turns out her list goes way out into June/July! I was more than willing to wait for something that would be on me forever ^_^ Then this morning I get a note from Cyn herself, saying that she'd like to bump me up because she loved my concept so much! I've got an appointment in 3 weeks to meet with her!

EEP!

The tattoo is a secret for now...but I'm so super excited to get it done! I had already been thinking about getting my matching Texas tattoo on my left arm when we go back in June. So 2012 might be the year of the amazing tattooed lady haha.

<3

SuperCute Sunday #7

2012-01-15T20:07:00.002-05:00

1) I love cats

2) Cat silk square scarf

3) Feline and Dandy Dress

4) Print by Stasia Burrington

5) Cat bed

Oh yeah...I make buttons

2012-01-14T08:38:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about my shop lately. Where it's been and where I want it to go. I've been selling on Etsy for almost 7 years and The Pink Samurai has gone from hand-sewn bags, to cross stitch, to buttons and everything in between. Changing direction is totally natural for any personal venture, and I'm itching for something new about now. These buttons are little different from my more super anime themed stuff and think these reflect a little bit more of who I am right now ^_^ I've been reading through Elsie's Dream Job e-course and even after being in business for myself for 7 years, there's still so much to plan for and think about. Especially if you want to take things to next level. I'm looking to have these guys listed soon, but I've got a pretty big rebranding effort in the works! So the goal is by Spring to unveil the new shop / products / blog / everything.

Wish me luck!

<3

Nail Polish Fun!

2012-01-12T00:00:00.003-05:00

I love nail polish. I have a lot of it. Here are some of my current favorite ideas to play with on your digits!

I guess I'm really into angles, layering and gold metallic right now? These colors seem so fun and still wintery, but not drab. My own nails are looking a little sad right now...I think this weekend I'll have to get back into my Sunday nail routine ^_^

<3

Wedding Wednesday! Our Journey to Chimayo

2012-01-10T23:52:00.007-05:00

During our honeymoon last October, we took a day to drive out to Chimayo and stop in Ortega's Weaving Shop. Ortega rugs have been man since the 1700's and the family's weaving tradition has been unbroken since then. My family looooves Santa Fe and this shop was a must-see on everyone's list of recommendations. I was going to make some super cute mosaics of images, but these handmade rugs and other textiles have to been seen as large as possible!

On the way...

We took home the one in the back on the far left ^_^

On the way to Taos...

You can visit Ortegas Weaving Shop online and look through their selection. It's just breath taking...and the softest, thickest rug I've ever had. The cats love it, too ^_^

Self-Portraits

2012-01-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

So I'm not much for taking outfit photos of myself. I'll leave to the super cute chicks like Amy Morby and Elsie Larson. But I love drawing self portraits, and I used to do it really regularly on my metro ride home from work. Andy and I have started drawing together in the evenings again, and it's so much fun to get back into the habit. I just shared one of my outfits on our Museum Date this weekend and figured I'd share a few more. Also, Instagram has been my wonderfully lazy way of getting pics onto the internets :P AND it turns out only washing your darks for 2 weeks, makes you really creative with your wardrobe!

Black shirt » H&M years ago

Camel Sweater » Old Navy

Jeans » Gap

Scarf » Old Navy

Shoes » Vans Authentic Lo Pro in teal

Dress » Modcloth

Cardigan » Target years ago

Tights » Victoria's Secret

Flats » Rocket Dog

Tank Top » Gap last summer

Sweater » Old Navy years and years and years ago

Pants » Gap

Heels » Urban Outfitters

Museum Monday!

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

So this probably won't be a regular thing, but the last couple of weekends we took some time to visit some of our favorite museums on the National Mall. Last weekend we played with dinosaurs and gems...this weekend we peeped the National Gallery and swung by the Air & Space Museum. Here! Have some photos!

Secret tip...the gelato at the National Gallery is delicious!

The tunnel to the East Building...which houses all the modern art.

Enormous Calder mobile. It was spinning like crazy that day.

I was actually really excited to see Newman's Stations of the Cross. I loved learning about them in art school and never expected to actually see them. They are breathtaking in person.

After the National Gallery, we tootled over to Air & Space. On the way across The Mall, we saw some nerds. Now, I think everyone should visit the Nation's Capitol. I think it's so cool that I actually live here and I'm surrounded by so much history. But some notes from a local, if you do come: Don't ever go on a segway tour. You will get laughed at. Just use your legs, lazy. Escalator etiquette is key. Stand to the right, walk on the left. And Don't eat at McDonald's. Good grief, look up some local food. I promise it's delicious.

Touching a moon rock.

This is Andy in front of the actual Enterprise! The real model that was used in the original show. We visit it every time we go to Air & Space. You really do have to make a point to go visit it, considering it's in the basement of the gift shop >_< Rude. I think it deserves a smidge more respect, but I do get to see it pretty much whenever I want...so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Sculptural representation of the Big Bang.

We had such a fun day! I've been drawing little self portraits again and posting them to instagram, and I drew myself taking pics with my phone for Saturday ^_^

I hope you like my little museum tours! I'm a huge nerd for museums, and living near DC means I get the best. I wonder if there's any that you'd like me visit for you? The Hirschhorn is really great. And I've never been to the Native American Museum. Maybe a tour of the West Building of the National Gallery, too? Or the Portrait Museum! That's right by where I work in Chinatown. Anyway! Yeah...more museums will definitely be happening.

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-04T06:07:00.003-05:00

I've never really been one for resolutions for New Years. Improving myself and moving forward is just something I've always tried to do in pretty much every aspect of my life anyway. But this year, along the same lines as my 28 before 29, I've got some pretty specific goals to achieve in 2012. So! Here's why I chose these things for my yearly goals...

1. Get smells back. I've got pretty terrible sinuses and haven't been able to smell for a few years. I've had emergency room visits for allergy & asthma attacks...surgery to remove polyps and correct a deviated septum...allergy testing and shots...and just every pill. Whenever I get a cold it almost assuredly turns into a sinus infection. BUT! I've got a new doctor and we've got a new plan. Christmas next year, I'll be able to smell the cookies I'm baking ^_^

2. Decorate our home. Andy and I have been planning our space and decorating here and there for a while, but we still have a lot of art to hang and Ikea visits to make. My goal inside a goal is tackle one room at a time and slowly watch our home transform. Maybe we'll have a home tour by the end of the year?

3. Draw more. Kind of self explanatory. Andy is a phenomenal artist and inspires me every day. So I'd like to fill a few sketch books this year. Monthly sketch book updates would probably help keep me on task ^_^

4. Freelance more. I have a BFA in Design, but my job is to manage a photo department. I love the people I work with, but I miss designing. Having the blog helps satiate that desire most of the time, but it's fun to work on other people's projects too! Right now I'm designing a friend's wedding invitations and another friend's blog. So, off to a good start!

5. Redesign my blog. Speaking of designing haha! I could probably redesign my blog once a week if I had the time. But I'd like to overhaul it this time and learn a little more html/css in the process. Not gonna lie, this blogger blog is hacked to hell...so I might need to start from scratch. We'll see ^_^

There's a lot going on this year, but it's all good things. Did anyone else make any resolutions?

Smithsonian Natural History Museum

2012-01-02T22:11:00.003-05:00

Andy and I took an extra day off from work this weekend to just spend some time together and take advantage of another 4 day weekend. We spent the day at one of most favorite places...the Smithsonian Natural History Musuem. Dino Date! Dinosaurs and rocks are kind of awesome. I ended up doing a sort of tour around the museum on instagram and I thought it would be cool to show some of my favorites, here.

The dioramas are pretty phenomenal in the dino wing (to the right when you walk in). I love the retro-science feel of them. Also...one of Andy's proposal plans was to ask me in front of the T-Rex! Ugh...he's the best.

The ocean exhibits are really cool. We spent a lot of time in the deep sea sections and I took some photos of the Giant Squids they have on display. They are...horrifying. By the way! Did you know there's such a thing as a Colossal Squid? Gross and awesome. Also...the origins of humanity are in mammals and rest rooms. This sign cracks me up every time.

Time to go upstairs! It was so crowded...worse than during the summer. I guess a lot of people were staying over for the holidays and decided to take their kids. Advice from a local...come during the week when kids are in school :/

Rocks and minerals! I'm kind of a geology nerd and this is my second favorite section of the museum. This top display is just called, "Rainbow of Minerals." Also note middle bottom is just a giant wall of quartz, that was featured in my last post. And bottom right is the effing Fortress of Solitude!

There was also a new exhibit of Egyptian mummies and artifacts on display. We went to see the King Tut exhibit in NYC in 2009 and it blew our minds. But this exhibit had actual mummies. Real bodies of a grown man and small child that had been preserved for over 2,000 years old. It was incredible. I didn't take any photos of them, out of respect. But I didn't think the kittens would mind. Just phenomenal.

It was a pretty awesome day ^_^

Happy New Year! Let's do this, 2012.

2012-01-01T09:46:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! I'm pretty stoked for this year. 2011 was really good to me and I'm looking forward to my first full year as a married woman. Last night we rung in the year, cozy at home, watching Star Trek TNG episodes and midnight struck when we were in the middle of playing River City Ransom on the Wii ^_^ I can't really think of a better way to celebrate.

I've got a lot planned for this year. I've had this blog for almost 6 years and have gone through spurts of updates...personal posts...diys...trying to keep up with regular features. There's a lot I want to accomplish this year and with a little focus and foresight, things will start getting more consistant in my internet and real life :P

Now is time for a shower and breakfast and to start 2012!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:41:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Andy and I are starting to feel a little better, but my family is coming over here so we don't have to get out in the "cold". We had such a great morning opening presents and seeing what Santa brought ^_^ Andy got me a giant monster Fuji Instax and the pictures above were taken today! I hope everyone has an amazing, fun and relaxing day with the people they love.

Resting up

2011-12-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

Turks and I are takin' it easy...

My sinuses are a-holes

2011-12-19T20:08:00.003-05:00

Feeling a little under the weather...as in...my face is trying to secede from my head. I've got a really great quick DIY to share this week, and some fun Christmas traditions that my family always celebrates. So I'm going to chill out and watch some Star Trek TNG and eat some mac and cheese and back later this week!

Office Christmas Party

2011-12-17T13:32:00.003-05:00

Our company Christmas party was this week and we got dressed up! It's been a pretty exhausting work week and it was fun to just go out and see all the people I'd just seen 2 hours prior, but a fancier version of them. I didn't have my camera or phone out, but was lucky to get a couple of shots from coworkers.

These are some of my girls! I'm so lucky to get to work with these ladies every day. They are phenomenal at what they do, are totally hilarious and they indulge me in my cat videos during our daily meetings ^_^

Andy and I took these on the way home. We were waiting for the Metro and I took a picture of my legs...and he too a picture of me taking a picture of my legs haha. I might have to find another reason to wear this outfit and make up again ^_^ BY THE WAY! I tweeted about watching Lisa Eldridge make up videos all day and she totally tweeted back at me! Huge fan girl moment for a minute. She said I looked good and liked my bow <3 I totally made that bow the night before because I wanted something else for my hair. Anyway, yeah, kind of awesome.

dress » Red Velvet

tights » American Apparel

shoes » Steve Madden

makeup tutorial » Lisa Eldridge

Merry Kittenmas

2011-12-15T00:00:00.001-05:00

Things got a little silly at lunch the other day. Look at all these bad kittens in the tree!

Oh...and here's Sprinkles in a box.

Happy Thursday!

Wedding Giggles :P

2011-12-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

So not only was our wedding perfect and beautiful and full of love...it was also really silly :P Here are a few of my favorite goofy shots from our happy day!

Weekend Thrift Shopping

2011-12-12T22:47:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I've really been thrift shopping and with the holidays so close, I've been really wanting to dig through some vintage Christmas-y stuff. I googled thrifts stores in DC / VA and came across Unique! They're owned by the same people that run Value Village, so I knew we'd found a cool place. Here are some photos!

Such an awesome store front.

Oh look! Christmas is that way!

The Claus', a stenograph, a Kodak 8mm film projector & a Lady Baltimore suitcase in the best condition I've ever seen.

Turns out there was an Asian grocery store in the same shopping center. It was like a perfect storm of awesome.

So fancy!

My haul is on the bottom: Brown Sugar & Milk hard candy, a couple of Pocky's and a Hello Kitty rice bowl and steamer combo!

We had so much fun ^_^ Ended up coming home with a Little Drummer Boy album (which immediately made it into our Christmas rotation) and a giant bag of tinsel (for an upcoming DIY project). Unique was definitely huge, but you really had to dig to find the good stuff. It makes me sad that most thrift store now are over-run by crap from the 80s and 90s. Sorry, but I don't need 3 Who Wants to be a Millionaire board games :/

In addition to Unique, we passed a Goodwill on the way that we stopped in on the way back. I found something there that was so perplexing I just had to share. I give you, Harry Potter and the Narcissistic Reporter:

Yes. That is a small sculpture of Harry Potter reading, glued to the front of What's a Woman Doing Here? A Reporter's Report on Herself by Dickie Chapelle. You're welcome.

Santa Fe Exploring

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

On our first day in town we decided to walk over to the State Capitol and take a little self-guided tour. I couldn't help thinking a little bit about Pawnee when we were poking around ^_^ There was artwork all over the building and the architecture of the building its self was so cool. Before we went in, though, we met the most amazing man. I was just snapping photos of the front when this older gentleman told me to stand to left, it was the best angle to get the whole thing. I took his advise and he was so right (hence the top photo). Then he asked if I could take a photo of him infront of the building. I absolutely obliged, and when he came back to look at the photo, he said, "I'm done. I'm finally done." Turns out he had visited every state capitol in the continental US! By only driving! He said we were cheaters for flying in ^_^ I just thought it was so cool to be a part of such a big moment in a stranger's life.

There were so many fun shops just right across the street from our hotel. The sign above the buttons says, ".50 a handfull"!

Ugh! I still have so many photos to share! Later that day we visited the St. Francis Cathedral Basilica, walked around the plaza and found some really great shops. So yeah...you're just going to have to deal with so many more photos :P

SuperCute Sunday #6

2011-12-11T00:00:00.002-05:00

We've been really into owls lately at home and I thought they would be a perfect way to kick-off SuperCute Sunday again. I'll probably post some photos of our growing collection soon, but until then, enjoy these finds! They'd make pretty great gifts for owl collectors, too.

• Vintage Owl Trio • Paper Owls

• Barn Owl Print • Owl Calendar

• Shower Curtain, Bathmath, Toothbrush holder & Shower rings

We actually own this shower curtain! I might have to get the matching set for the bathroom ^_^ Oh! And I can't have a post like this and not include this video. I've never wanted to snuggle with an owl before...but now I want to more than most things.

28 before 29

2011-12-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love the idea of lists. I can't get through the day without writing down pretty much everything I need to do and everything I've done. Including, but not limited to, -Get out of bed, -Take a shower, -Get dressed, and so forth. So when I saw Elsie do a yearly list centered around her birthday, I had to get in on it. My birthday was Nov. 4, so I'm a little late getting this up here, but whatevs. Here it goes!

1. Start blogging again

2. Make button collections

3. Go on a vacation adventure

4. Take photos everyday

5. Expand products in shop

6. Sew a dress

7. Organize nail polish collection

8. Make seasonal decorations for our home

9. Hang framed family photos

10. Enjoy my first year of marriage

11. Draw something everyday

12. Make prints of illustrations

13. Participate in at least one craft fair

14. Get an Instax & fill an album

15. Make candles

16. Sew ties for Andy

17. Watch classic movies I've never seen

18. Visit the ocean

19. Expand my wardrobe & be more adventurous

20. Find a new favorite video game

21. Cook dinner during the week

22. Get my sense of smell back

23. Play with tubcat

24. Learn to crochet

25. Get a new tattoo

26. Visit family from far away

27. Go to Texas

28. Play with makeup / classes

I'm already making a good start on the list...but there's definitely a lot to accomplish! Has anyone else got some long term goals?

DIY Holla-Daze!

2011-12-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

So I've been in full-on Christmas crafting mode since the last dishes from Thanksgiving were put away. The holidays were a really big deal for me growing up and my family, my mom especially, made sure to take the time to keep up traditions and let everyone be involved, no matter how young. We would get out old decorations and make new ones. And now that Pinterest exists, I have access to pretty much every Christmas crafting idea ever in the history of ever. Not to mention, I have a holiday itch all year round, so I collect fun ideas all year. Also, my friend Lindsay likes to call the holidays, Holla-Daze! and it makes me giggle ^_^

Here are some that I've done recently. The tutorial photo is on the left, and my version (forgive me for taking all these with my iPhone) is to the right...

Twisted Felt Garland via The Purl Bee

Ruffly Felt Wreath via Design*Sponge

Scalloped Tree Skirt via Pinterest

Glitter Ornaments via Greenbean's Crafterole

I hope you like them! If you try them out, too I'd love to see!

Pinterest Wishlist

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Just a few of my favorite things on pinterest right now ^_^

1. Clutch

2. Pink Coat

3. Heart Sweater

4. Doily Rug

5. Hello Kitty Glasses

6. Dino Earrings

7. Pink Polka Dot Bow Heels

8. Cat Rings

9. Bow Phone Case

10. Vintage Canisters

The Kittens

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Some gratuitous photos of Turks and Sprinkles. These are from instagram (my user name is thepinksamurai!) which I use every day and compulsively check throughout the day ^_^

Santa Fe

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

We went on our moon to Santa Fe, NM. We'd both been before and really wanted to go together. I took an obnoxious amount of pictures and will be sharing lots of them in the coming weeks. That place is just so cool! One of my favorite things to snap shots of were the flowers. They were so different to what we get on the East Coast. And there was so much greenery up in the mountains!

The last two photos are us at a place called Guadelupe Cafe. Specifically these were taken right before I ate the most delicious burrito in my whole life. Oh look...here's a picture from instagram...

I reiterate...most delicious burritos in my whole life.

More fun photos from the Southwest are coming soon! We also bought Holga on the Plaza and took a bunch of photos with that and our Lomo, so I'll share those, too!

DIY Stamp

2011-12-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here's a really quick DIY that we did for our invitations. Making your own stamps is super fun and as long as you have the tools you're armed and ready for any occasion. Above is the during and below is the after ^_^ Along with another fun stamp just cuz I felt like it.

Materials:

Block » Speedball Speedy Carve

Carving tools » Pictured above | Cheaper but just as good for linoleum

Sharpie » Everywhere

Ink » Martha Stewart ink pad

Super easy...just draw what you want to cut in Sharpie and carve around your lines. This is a negative process, meaning that you cut away what you don't want there. I wanted the lines to show up, so I cut everywhere but the lines. You can get the opposite effect, a black rose with white lines, if you cut the lines out. When you're cutting around your design, be sure to cut deep enough that no chatter shows up. Chatter is just extra stuff that picks up the ink. If a lot of extra is showing up, just cut back into your block and try again. So easy.

You can also glue a piece of wood to the back to have a better hand hold and make it look a little more legit. This also helps you get even pressure when you stamp. But mine are still all nekkid. Super fun and super easy!

My Wedding

2011-12-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

I don't like to acknowledge when I haven't been blogging, because honestly, you probably didn't notice ^_^ But I have been away and it was for a pretty great reason if you ask me. I got married!

I wanted to share some pictures from our big day...and be prepared for some pretty epic honeymoon photos later this week. I hope you enjoy!

30 Days of Lists » Weekly Rituals

2011-10-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

My week days have been consumed with my day job and wedding planning, so right now all the regular stuffs is happening on the weekend.

Sunday • Post Secret, paint my nails, laundry, blogging

Saturday • Enjoy the company of WeekendCat

30 Days of Lists » Date Night Ideas

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm a firm believer that anything with the one you love can be a date.

Like:

• Grocery Store Date - buy something totally silly and random for each other.

• McDonalds Date - grab a battery-operated candlestick, table cloth and make it night.

• Home Movie Date - pick one special movie to watch together once a year, hooray traditions!

• Photo Date - take your cameras and spend time photographing your area and each other.

• Road Trip Date - pick someplace over 2 hours away and make the day of it. bonus for mix tapes.

• Drawing Date - head to a local park or botanical garden for nature sketching.

• Lego Date - build something together!

• Video Game Date - play through a whole co-op game together.

All of these are silly fun things I've done before...like I said...you can turn anything into a date if you love the person you're with.

30 Days of Lists » My Wishlist

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Some things I'm hoping for in the very near future...

• To get more sleep and be able to wake up earlier in the morning

• To finish decorating the apartment

• To bust out my sewing machine again and make some bags

• Really learn how to crochet

• For my hair to grow faster

• More bows in my life

• For beautiful weather on my wedding day

30 Days of Lists » Favorite Websites and Blogs

2011-10-09T22:13:00.002-04:00

My morning ritual for the internet goes like this:

• Gmail

• Google Reader

• Twitter

• Tumblr

• Pinterest

In my Google Reader I'm subscribed to so many blogs >_< But my favorites are:

• A Beautiful Mess

• The Dainty Squid

• Love Elycia

• I go by Katie

• Oh So Lovely

• Post Secret

• Twinkie Chan

• Japan Streets

I also get pretty stoked when my friends post too...

• The Pelz Says?

• Daily Calligraphy

• Twirling, Twirling, Twirling Towards Freedom!

• Sew Sweet Stitches

• Hi How Are You?

I should finish that series of posts I started with all the blogs I follow...seriously...I just checked...it's 366 blogs. That's like, every blog.

30 Days of Lists » In my bag

2011-10-09T20:39:00.002-04:00

Top Row (left to right)

• Keys

• Hello Kitty wallet from Sanrio.com

• Inhaler (at all times)

• Hello Kitty mirror compact from Sephora

• Orly white glitter nail polish

Middle Row

• Moleskine

• Aveeno Sunscreen for my tattoo and pale skin

• Lubriderm Lotion I got from BWI

• Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Best Bubbly

• Revlon ColorBurst lipgloss in Papaya

• Mechanical pencil

• Hello Kitty mechanical pencil

• Hello Kitty Mimobot

• Neutrogena lipgloss

• Hello Kitty Apple Balm from Sephora

Bottom Row

• Work ID

• Sunglasses

• Hello Kitty gel pens from Target

• My phone!

Not pictured...my Sony NEX-5...since I used it to take the photo :P

And that pink mass is my favorite bag from Jo Totes.

30 Days of Lists » Blog Goals

2011-10-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

• Be more consistant!

• Keep up with weekly features

• Get to know some other awesome bloggers

• Integrate more with my shop

• Have more DIY tuts!

30 Days of Lists » Least favorite words

2011-10-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

These are mostly corporate bs words that I hear at work at the time.

• Bandwidth - as in do you have the bandwidth to do this before the deadline.

• 10 EX - instead of just saying 10 times.

• yt? - instead of just typing "you there?"

• best practices - just so corporate :P

• COB - for close of b

usiness instead of just saying, before 5.

bleh.

image source » http://iamhilarious.com/ha-ha-business/

30 Days of Lists » Weekend Goals

2011-10-05T07:00:00.001-04:00

With the wedding 2 1/2 weeks away...this list has already been made

• Get table cloths finished

• Start getting centerpieces ready and boxed together

• Decorations!

• Review menu

• More roses?

• Play Gears of War 3

• Paint my nails

• Watch more Star Trek: TNG

Turks is WeekendCat, though. He says I should stay in bed.

30 Days of Lists » Today's Playlist

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

My playlist consists of whole albums by artists...

• New Found Glory - Radiosurgery

• Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

• Metric - Fantasies

• Sleigh Bells - Treats

• The Sounds - Dying to Say This to You

• Ok Go - Of the Blue Colour of the Sky

• Saves the Day - Stay What You Are

30 Days of Lists » I am looking forward to...

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

• Getting married to Andy.

30 Days of Lists » Things you are good at

2011-10-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

• Editing Photos

• Making crepe paper flowers

• Sewing things that are clothing

• Designing and pressing buttons

• Finding awesome cat videos

• Being totally goofy

• Making ridiculous sound effects

• Quoting The Office

• Star Wars Trivia

30 Days of Lists » A few things about yourself

2011-10-01T13:44:00.005-04:00

Since I still have a bunch of photos left to post from the 30 days of Photos series, i figured I'd start in on another challenge I found via A is for Ampersand.

Today is a few things about yourself.

• geek

• daughter

• sister

• lover

• fighter

• crafter

• photographer

• entrepreneur

• hopeless romantic

• endlessly curious

• constant maker

• best friend

• total goofball

• can't live without laughing

• cat lady

• nail polish fiend

SuperCute Sunday #6

2011-09-04T18:04:00.003-04:00

So in keeping with my ridic love for nail polish, this week's SuperCute Sunday is full of awesome video tutorials from my favorite nail art youtubers. (Saying tuber reminded me of this) Check out these great videos and head over to their channels to see even more awesome stuff.

Cute Polish is just silly. She's good and so original! See also: Back to School and everyone knows I love Hello Kitty.

If you love Lisa Frank, then you'll love this one. I haven't really delved into sccastsneda's other video. I think I prefer Lisa Eldridge and Kandee Johnson for beauty videos (I watch them almost every day haha). But this nail tutorial was so great!

Pink and Pandas. So cute. I haven't watched this one yet, but it's next on the list.

I hope you like these videos...I think they're really fun ^_^

Turks Outtakes

2011-08-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here are some outtakes of my mini shoot with Turks the other day. This was for the "something fun" post in the 30 Day Photo Challenge. He just loves that feather toy. In the morning, he'll walk through the hallway and just look back and mao (not meow, but mao), just waiting for me to follow and play. So cute!

I'll be catching up on the Photo Challenge later this week. I've just finished our invites, save addressing, which we'll do as soon as possible. Next on the list is fooooood!

Game Night

2011-08-23T22:25:00.003-04:00

We love board games. Scrabble, Life, Cranium, and especially Trivial Pursuit. We have so much random knowledge floating around in our heads haha. We found this new version of Trivial Pursuit on our last outing to Toy R Us and decided to pick it up. It has the interesting new way of categorizing questions and a betting mechanism where you can bet whether or not your opponent knows the answer >:D Here's some pics from our first game.

The new board. Any space gives you the opportunity to get a wedgie (that's what we called them in my home growing up lol).

Each card has themed questions...even though the questions are still pretty varied.

You start out with some chips and gain/loose them while betting on your opponent. If you have enough, then you can buy a wedgie. You can also buy the ability to choose the card and type of question you're asked for your final question.

I didn't do too hot in the beginning...

Oooh! Don't call it a comeback!

Winner winner chicken dinner!

It was a really fun game and Andy definitely won the next round. I was skeptical with this new format, and I'll always love the original, but this version was pretty fun! Definitely great for a party or weekly game night with your friends.

Nail Polish: Color!

2011-08-23T08:46:00.003-04:00

So I love nail polish and I've really been into playing with different color palettes lately. This is one I did a few weeks ago and forgot to snap a pic before they started to chip a little. The colors were so fun together, though! They are all Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Model Behavior, Barracuda, and 3 in Coral Fever.

This week I'm playing with a matte top coat by Essie and another palette of 3. I should really do a whole post on color theory as shown with nail polish haha! So here I've got another Sally Hansen color in Yellow Kitty (how could I not get that?) and Essie colors Turquoise & Caicos (one of my all time favorites) and Rose Bowl with a top coat of Matte About You.

I hope you like them! I just love playing with bright colors!

SuperCute Sunday #5

2011-08-21T10:11:00.003-04:00

This addition is all about Photography. I've found some really cute cameras and fun tutorials on how to give your own photos that cute vintage feel!

• This Crochet Polaroid is so super cute! Not technically a camera...but it was too cute to leave out.

• Elsie from Red Velvet / A Beautiful Mess has this super cute Hand-Painted Holga in a chevron pattern that I just love. I read her blog every day, btw.

• The Pink Polaroid was from a wedding shoot and I had to include it because it's pink. And I want it.

• Urban Outfitters has bunches of fun cameras, but this Blue Cloud Diana is the cutest imo.

• UO can over charge a bit tho, so check out Amazon. I found this Instax for almost half of what UO was charging. I don't have one of these yet, I prefer Polaroid's square format, but I think it would be really fun to play around with.

And here are some great Photoshop tricks to give your digital photos that vintage feel.

• I love instagram (my username is beckypool). These Instagram Photoshop Actions are so awesome and there's so many! I want to play with all my photos.

• Photo Editing with Curves and Selective Color is a trick I use with all the photos on my blog. It helps to keep everything consistant and give a nice airy, but colorful feel.

• Here's one more Vintage Photo Effect in Photoshop.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 17

2011-08-17T20:13:00.003-04:00

There's more to my desk than this, but it's the corner that's in my direct line of sight and I love the things that I put there.

1) Star Wars 4,5 & 6. I only watch the special edition discs with the original cuts.

2) Moleskines that I use to jot down ideas throughout the day. The sticker came from an exchange student from Japan. She stayed with my sister for 2 weeks and brought the most gorgeous gifts!

3) Bunneary. A Pokemon from my sister.

4) My little Manske Roll. A sweet zipper pull from Kidrobot

5) Boba Fett

6) This picture hung on the wall of my grandparents loft/sewing space/guest room for as long as I can remember. My Grandmom used to teach cookie lessons to internationals from her church and one of them gave this to her as a thank you. It reminds me of her every day.

7) A calligraphy pen! I'm pretty terrible at calligraphy, but I'd love to learn. Maybe some day I'll be as cool as Lila ^_^

8) A paper fan from an arcade in Ocean City.

9) A great vintage glass vase that I stuff all my pens and pencils into.

10) A mess of usb cords for various cameras lol

Nail Polish: Polka dot Nude

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

I got a couple of nude colors the other day, which is a departure from my normal bright nails. I just felt like experimenting after seeing some really cute stuff on pinterest. Pictured is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Without a Stitch and Essie in Oui Madam. I actually used the Sally Hansen color Malt all over (totally photographed the wrong bottle...doh! It's just one shade darker than Without a Stitch) and then took a small sculpting tool (you can use a toothpick) and dipped it in a little puddle of the Oui Madam for the dots. The dot color is a silver white and is very reflective so it gives an interesting effect against the matte.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 16

2011-08-16T22:37:00.002-04:00

You guys, I love Spicy Nacho Doritos. I call them "sass chips" because their flavor is so sassy. Eat them with peanut butter sandwiches and you'll be a better person for it.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 15

2011-08-15T23:15:00.002-04:00

I love sparkly things...especially shoes. I wear the Steve Madden ones in the middle all the time. The bow's I'm planning on wearing to my wedding rehearsal and dinner ^_^ And the flip flops were cheap and from Old Navy. I couldn't resist.

To-Do List » 8/14-20/2011

2011-08-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

SuperCute Sunday #4

2011-08-14T18:02:00.000-04:00

Today is all about ice cream! Because I love eating it. And because there are so many ways to make it super cute.

Paper Ice Cream Cone

Strawberry Ice Cream Cone Trinket Box

Kittens & Ice Creams by 64 Colors

Ice Cream Bath Bombs

Pooping Ice Cream

30 Day Photo Challenge: Days 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14

2011-08-14T15:48:00.004-04:00

Massive catch up for Photo Challenge, GO!

A Japanese stab bound book I made years ago using the hemp leaf pattern.

Feather toys are always fun ^_^

Turks asleep on my lap.

The view from my balcony.

Some flowers out by the pool.

New Markers

2011-08-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

I worked from home half the day yesterday because I wasn't feeling well. Just curled up in bed with my laptop and the kittens and did my work from there. I could totally get used to that, btw. When Andy got home came baring gifts! We've been really into our greyscale Copic's and he brought me some pinks! I love love love Copic's and I colored my most recent girl tonight. Nothing fancy, I'm still practicing with these markers, but it's pink ^_^

My scanner decided crop it for me :/ Oh well! I still really like it.

So the moral of the story is to play with pink copic markers cuz they are awesome.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 9

2011-08-09T21:12:00.002-04:00

Today I had to take a self portrait, minus my faaaaace. There's a bit of chin, but whatevs. This is my favorite necklace. My Grandmother gave me this charm over 10 years ago for my James Avery charm bracelet (a staple for any girl raised in The Lone Star State). I never had it put on the bracelet because I loved it so much as a necklace. It's a great conversation piece. And I'll take any excuse to talk about Texas ^_^

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 8

2011-08-08T22:09:00.002-04:00

This is my FriendsWithYou mimobot collection. To be fair it's me and Andy's since he bought them all for us...but they sit on my desk ^_^ There's another at work, and a Hello Kitty one in my purse right now. You know, in case I need some data storage really quick. You never know. Also the Hello Kitty blind boxes are calling my name...

Star Trek Inspiration: Uhura Nails

2011-08-08T15:17:00.001-04:00

Here's how my Star Trek nails came out! This color is so great. Three coats of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in 13 - Celeb City. I'm pretty sure it was just $2.99 at Rite Aid. I usually do my nails every Sunday. It's just fun little "me" thing that I make time for on the weekend. These turned out really great imo, so I might start posting my nails more regularly.

30 Day Photo Challenge

2011-08-07T17:01:00.004-04:00

I'm a little late to the game for the 30 Day Photo Challenge hosted by Oh So Lovely, but it's such a fun idea I'm going to make up for lost time! You can read more about the challenge here. All you really need to know is that they came up with a really cute list of things to take photos of and post on your blog. So since I'm 7 days behind, I'm going to catch up in this post!

Here's the official list:

And here we go!

I found out about the challenge from Amy Tangerine, who's blog I've been following for a long time. In the same post, she shared about a new photo app called Pocketbooth that turns your phone into a mobile photobooth. Super cute and I had to get it. Also it was raining really hard this afternoon.

The clouds outside my apartment were hard to see because of that whole torrential down pour thing. I do love when it's light outside and pouring rain.

duh.

My fiance! The amazing and talented Andy Helms ^_^ He's so great I can't barely believe he's real sometimes.

I've been drawing a lot more lately, and my newest is this girl.

Hooray! All caught up! Tomorrow is "technology" and I know exactly what I'm going to do ^_^ Also, nail pics are coming tomorrow, too.

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SuperCute Sunday #3

2011-08-07T14:40:00.002-04:00

Sweets Edition!

Cake!
Sugar Cone Cake
Giant Scalloped Cake
Pink Velvet Roulade
Cupcakes!
Push-Pop Cupcakes
Rainbow Cupcakes
Melted Ice Cream Cupcakes
Candy!
Cake Batter Chocolate Bark
Bowl of Candy
Harry Potter Treat Smorgasbord

<3

Star Trek Inspiration

2011-08-06T19:32:00.004-04:00

Andy and I have challenged each other to watch every Star Trek episode ever. We both grew up watching (TNG is my favorite!) and we're making our way through the second season of the original series. I love the 60's in general and especially their vision of the future. Uhura is one of my favorites...I love how classy and beautiful she is on duty! I've been wanting to paint my nails like hers for a while, and I'm totally doing it today. Look how great!

photo: blingcheese.com

So I'm armed with some Sally Hansen's Clearly Quick and Celeb City and the Ikea catalog that just arrived! I'm silly excited for this. It's the little things ^_^

I'll totally post the results later!

Otakon Sketches

2011-08-04T23:01:00.002-04:00

We had some down time at Otakon and I this one piece of paper infront of the the whole time. Like any creative person, I doodle like a maniac, and this is what happened ^_^

There's a few things in here I'm going to develop and a few that just make me giggle. If you couldn't tell, all I really wanted to do the whole time was draw tubcats and Adventure Time fan art. Marceline's hair is so fun to draw!

<3

Otakon 2012

2011-08-01T22:27:00.004-04:00

Last weekend was Otakon! We were preparing for this for a long time and while I didn't have enough to get some more things made (bags, shirts, etc) we had buttons, prints, jewelry and charms for sale! It was crowded and fun and like any good Anime convention, it was full of cosplayers! I took a few pics of my favorites. I hope you like them!

Arriving in Baltimore!

Andy had his stuff on the other side of the table, but mine half was way cuter :P

Oh man, check out all those buttons.

And charms! Tubcat definitely stole the show.

The Old Spice Guy was one of the first attendees we saw.

This guy put his buttons on his bag right quick!

Team Rocket! You might not know that I love a Pokemans.

Some people had props that were out of control. Also a staple of anime conventions...giant duct tape swords.

This guy was so cool! He had two full sleeves of breakfast cereal. One was just for Fruity Pebbles! But Lucky Charms is his favorite. He also had the Quaker Oats guy on his leg.

Super Mario Bros. 2 Peach!

Um Jammer Lammy & Parappa the Rapper

Luigi and Daisy

Very specific Ariel costume. Not gonna lie, I wanted this dress so bad when I was little.

The coolest Portal gun of the whole show. (There were lots.)

More Portal fun!

I found Waldo. Womp womp.

Coolest mom there.

Dr. Horrible was so nice.

I told Capt. Hammer that I'd seen a Dr. Horrible too and he told me not to worry. He'd already taken care of him for me. haha

Skinny Poliwhirl!

Marceline and Princess Bubblegum! These girls were so great. Marceline was so pro.

BMO! She was running around all excited...perfect BMO.

I don't know who he is...but he's awesome.

Professor Chaos! Oh Butters.

And Chris Redfield from Resident Evil 5. We've been playing the crap out of that game, so I was excited to see him haha

We had such a great time and I'm really excited to see where my shop goes from here. This was my first venture out with Pnut and Tubcat and they were the biggest hits! Which is cool cuz all I want to do is draw tubby kittens all day.

Count Down to Otakon

2011-07-25T08:02:00.003-04:00

I've talked about Otakon quite a bit here, and be prepared for a little bit more ^_^ We've just a handful of days left till my favorite Anime convention! This is the first year I'll have a booth in the dealer's room as opposed to the artist alley. The dealer's room gets a lot more traffic and the booths are quite a bit more expensive, so I'm definitely taking a leap.

So for the next couple of days my dispaly stuff will be coming in and I'll be cranking out buttons like a mad woman.

SuperCute Sunday #2

2011-07-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Tattoos: Kim-Anh Nguyen, Tattoosday I've been a fan of Emily McCombs for a while, Twinkie Chan is the epitome of super cute.
Nail Polish: Glitter Gradient, Katrina's Nail Blog, Cupcake Manicure.
Hearts: Table I'm pining for, Heart Garland, I wear these two as necklaces almost every day - My Grandmother gave me this one years ago & Andy bought this for me the first day we visited Texas.

Lazy Saturday Morning

2011-07-23T11:09:00.003-04:00

Still in our pjs, we've just been hanging out in the studio listening to pandora with the kittens just strewn about. Sprinkles is laying on my giant stack of buttons that have been printed and need to be pressed for next weekend. Turks has just been curled up on my feet (after he had unsuccessfully tried to share my cereal with me).

Today we're going to have a McDecadence date at the most decadent McDonalds in the DC Metro area, check out Captain America (we saw Harry Potter last weekend and I wish I had taken a pic of my Gryffendor eye makeup haha! I loved the movie btw...even though I'm a snob about some parts ^_^ ) and then come home and work on Otakon and wedding stuff. I suppose I should go shower now...

<3

Wedding Sneak-Peek

2011-07-20T22:29:00.002-04:00

Our wedding is going to be very much DIY. We've been gathering some really fun things for our centerpieces and I finally got all the materials I needed for main part. Behold a sneak peek!

<3

Kitten!

2011-07-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

I found a giant kitten at a Petco in Rockville. It pleases me.

<3

Paper Bear

2011-07-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

I've teased a little bit about Paper Bear before, but this store needs it's own post. During visit to Texas a couple of months ago, I had to take Andy and we took tons of pictures. Paper Bear was a staple to every visit to my Grandmother's house and it used to behuge. As a kid, I'd walk in and follow the yellow brick road to the room in that back where the floor was covered in movie posters and there were toys and stuffed animals and books and everything a kid could possibly every dream of wanting. So much of it was educational, too. I could spend hours. Especially since the entire back wall was filled with bins that contained hundreds of little knick-knacks and tacky toys. They were just cents each so my cousins and I would always get to pick something out that we cherished the whole weekend we'd be visiting.

In recent years, Paper Bear fell victim to our economic times and had to reduce it's size. They had two adjoining store fronts and squeezed into just one. It's amazing how much they were able to fit in a smaller space. I do regret that the wonderful movie poster floor was destroyed as they gave up that half of their shop. But it's still a must visit. Check the pics!

There was a yellow brick road that led to the toys and the plastic bins were still in full effect. I thought things were dense before, but now it's even more packed than before. So much awesome in one place. We got some Hello Kitty cups (this was the place that originally made me a Kitty-holic) and that teal Kit-Kat Clock is absolutely on my kitchen wall right now. We got tons of funny ticky-tacky things and loved every minute of digging around in here. Someday I will buy that 8000 piece puzzle for my mom ^_^ Also, any place that had a shop cat is so pro.

<3

SuperCute Sunday #1

2011-07-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Hi! I'm starting a new feature called SuperCute Sunday! I love supercute things and just wanted to share. So here's some of my recent favorites ^_^

Rilakkuma: Store, Giant Plush
Strawberries: Camera Case, Couch, Coin Purse
Bows: Bow-Accent Quilted Cross Bag, Bow Hair Clip, Huge Pink Bow Ring,

Goodwill Adventure

2011-07-12T11:00:00.000-04:00

So we've been gather things for the wedding and we took a trip to our local Goodwill to see if they had anything fun to use. We didn't find anything for the wedding, but we did find some pretty amazing stuff.

If this typewriter had actually worked, I would've been all over it.

I loved these colors! Perfect for our balcony.

Delightfully tacky.

Blue lamp with a figure skater? Yes.

The 70's barfed all over this kitten!

I love a tangle of wires.

This was our first visit to this particular Goodwill and judging by the amount of records we left with, it won't be the last. Now to hunt down more thrift stores in the DC, Northern VA area!

<3

The view outside my apartment right now

2011-07-11T21:13:00.001-04:00

This amazing blanket of black clouds just passed over our apartment. The lightning outside right now is incredible.

Just wanted to share!

<3

Turks!

2011-07-07T20:35:00.003-04:00

Turkleton J. Kittenpants loves to sit in the window and watch the birds on the balcony above us.

Philly Comic Con

2011-07-06T19:09:00.004-04:00

So a couple of weekends ago we headed up to Philly to the Wizard World Comic Con. I love comics and Billy D. Williams was supposed to be there, so I was all about it. Here's some pictures!

We were greeted by a flock of jedi on the escalators.

Billy D. Williams! First thing in the door, there he is and a wig out and get nervous and can't say anything. Also, Margo Kidder was right next to him. It was almost too much right at the start!

Please excuse the blurriness...but I had to take this one quick haha

And clearly this guy is blurry because he's moving so fast...

I loved this bucket of pokemans.

So good.

The Boondock Saints were there, too. Another freak out moment ^_^

And a Delorian! This is a street legal replica of the Back to the Future time machine. You had to pay to have sit in it, but all the procedes went to Team Fox for Parkinson's Research, so we were more than happy to contribute.

We stepped out of the convention center for a bit to grab some cash because the atm's there had been drained lol. Also Andy had never been around Philly, so we saw some of the more notable downtown stuffs and Chinatown.

So much fun and geekery! We got some prints from Tom Whalen and Josh Howard was there and I geeked out for a hot second and got a book from him.

We're still gearing up for Otakon...more buttons and all kinds of super cute things will debut at our booth there. So if you love Anime, totally swing by!

<3

Sprinkles B. Meowface

2011-06-20T23:20:00.001-04:00

Hey Sprinks! What's up?

No photos, please.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T19:00:00.004-04:00

I am such a Daddy's Girl. He's always supported me and loved me unconditionally (no matter how bad I ever messed up). He's let me make my own decisions and helped me along with consequences, whether they be good or bad. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life and I'm so thankful everyday that I get talk to him and text him and beat him in Words With With Friends ^_^

I love my Daddy!

<3

Manske Love

2011-06-12T19:20:00.002-04:00

During our trip to Texas, one of our first stops was Gil's Broiler in San Marcos. I used to go here all the time with my family when we would visit my Grandmother and it's still as wonderful as ever. If you're ever there...for the love of God...get a Manske Roll.

My parents use to come here in their college days.

The interior has changed a few times in the years we've been coming here, but the hanging rocks have always been there.

Old menu. Their hotdogs used to be too franks cut in half on a hamburger bun! So good.

So excited for Manske Rolls!

They have cheesy postcards from the 70's (I'm assuming) at the front so I got one to write a note home. Telling my family about my Gil's adventure and wishing them love from Deep in the Heart of Texas.

Tada! The Manske Roll! It's like a giant cinnamon roll just unapologetically slathered in butter and wonderful. You can cut it with the fork and it just melts in your mouth. The last bite of the center is like heaven.

Right after this we tootled down the road the Paper Bear...aka the best shop ever in the history of shops. I have tons of pictures that I'm having a hard time uploading right now, or I'd get it all in one post. But I guess Paper Bear deserves it's own story. The moral of the story is, go to Texas, go to Gil's and eat a Manske Roll. That is all.

All Terrain - Scout Transport

2011-06-11T19:53:00.007-04:00

There's been lots of Star Wars Legos popping up at our place lately. Andy got me an AT-ST because he knew it was my favorite ^_^ I put it together and made sure it was commandeered by Chewie.

I love an AT-ST.

Sprinkles, like the AT-AT behind her, brings only destruction to our cause.

Things got a little silly with the Hoth set.

I love Pinterest

2011-06-08T22:54:00.004-04:00

I forget how I found out about Pinterest. I wanna say it was a tweet from Joy Cho that got me hooked. But as soon as I got on there, I got lost and had to create my own account. It's a great way to share projects and products and just things that you love, and be able to link back to their source. I use it kind of selfishly...more of a giant bookmark to projects I want to do and shoes I want to buy, that I don't want to forget about. Check it:

I clearly need to find more geeky things and stuff to do with my garden. The board of mine that's seeing the most action lately is Our Wedding. It's being used as an inspiration board / idea dump for all the cool wedding stuff I see on the bajillion wedding blogs I follow ^_^

How great are those giant flowers? Ugh! So good. A couple of my favorite people on there are also twitter friends of mine, too and they pin the best stuff! Sherisa and I love all the same things. Her jewelry is so great! I want these really bad. And Melissa has a great blog that I've been following for a long time and finds such great things.

Anyway. The moral of the story is: use Pinterest and we can be friends and find awesome stuff on the interwebs. Also, their app for the iphone is pretty cool. You can snap pictures wherever and upload them right to your boards.

New Products and Case of the Growing To-Do List

2011-06-06T22:32:00.002-04:00

So my phone straps finally came and this is my first charm! Tubcat is ready for action...and texting. I'll be setting aside some time this week to photograph the rest of my charms and add some new stud earrings the shop. Along with expanding the magnet selection, as those seem to be pretty popular right now. All of these things are keeping my Teux Deux list full! But I love being busy and creative, so it's fine with me ^_^ Here's a quick list of what's going on:

Design sticker sheets
List more magnets
Email caterer for wedding
Keep working on Save the Dates
Print out photos of venue for designing the space
Get orders ready to ship
Do the dishes » totally done!
Make cell phone charms
Photograph everything!
Play Words With Friends and get shamelessly beaten

Oh! And repaint my nails. No topcoat this weekend meant chips first thing Monday morning. It'll be a busy week...we're heading to meet a friend for dinner tomorrow and hopefully stop by Ikea as well. So much fun! What's on everyone else's To-Do list this week?

Engaged!

2011-06-01T22:24:00.006-04:00

So Andy and I took a trip to Texas in the beginning of May. It was the first time he'd really visited (not counting driving through on a road trip from Albuquerque to DC) and my first real vacation in a few years. I wanted to show him where I grew up and give him more of insight as to why I am the way that I am. I'm a full blooded Texan and I love my home state so hard! I even got a giant tattoo while we were there...but that's for another post ^_^

At the end of one of my favorite days there, we hiked up Mount Baldy in Woodcreek so I could show him the most gorgeous view of the Texas Hill Country. The most beautiful place on Earth, imo. We went up at sunset and were all by ourselves (after the German family that was in front of us on the way up had me take a picture haha) and it was just perfect.

On the way up. I use the term "hike" loosely since there were stairs.

Checkin' out the view...

The sun started to set behind the Mount Baldy's twin sister.

There were chalk rocks everywhere, so I drew a Pnut ^_^

Ok! So here's where it gets serious. We were sitting on the rocks and just watching the sun set over miles and miles of Hill Country, just taking it all in and being so glad that we were right there. And then Andy asks me to stand up. We were standing there and he told me how much he loved me and asked me to marry him! He said he didn't have the ring yet, but he took out the pen that he's always got in his pocket and drew a ring on my finger.

My first engagement ring! He kept a sharpie with him every day till my real ring came, just in case it washed off.

Our first picture as fiances!

And this was the view before we hiked back down.

It was such a wonderful day, full of so much fun and food and exploration (more stories and pictures to come) and it's just been typical to every day we spend together. I've never had so much fun before and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him. BTW, we're going to look at a potential venue on Sunday! So exciting!

^_^

New in the Shop!

2011-05-29T22:03:00.002-04:00

So I finally got some charms made for the shop! I'm super excited as I finally found a place that could do what I really wanted, and they turned out so much better than I could've hoped. We're getting ready for Otakon this year (booth 904 in the Dealer's Room!) and I wanted to get these in the shop to see what people thought ^_^

Here's a few:

You can check them out the shop HERE!

Weekend Finds - Jewelry Boxes

2011-02-19T11:26:00.014-05:00

So I got a bug up my butt this morning to go looking for jewelry boxes. I have lots of jewelry just kind of strew about and in lots of paper boxes and I'd love a place to organize it all. Check out some of my favorite finds!

McKenna Large Jewelry Box from Pottery Barn. I've been lusting after most of the jewelry boxes from here, but this one is just so gorgeous! Simple & beautiful. Their travel cases are amazing, too.

Mitzi Mirrored Jewelry Box from Crate and Barrel. I don't usually go for metal or mirrored accessories, but I love how minimal this is. I feel like it would look sweet and subtle on a dresser.

This one is just pink and ridiculous :P

Hinged Jewelry Boxes from the Horchow Collection. I can't get over these colors. I kind of want 3 of them to makes a super cute color palette on my dresser.

This box is vintage but was restyled by funkeyfinds over on Etsy. I think it's super cute.

I'm just girlie enough to really appreciate a musical ballerina jewelry box ^_^ This one from ClassicByNature on Etsy is in gorgeous shape and love the colors and details.

The shape of this handmade box is so pretty! I kind of love it. From Woodstorming on Etsy.

I love Totoro so much! I actually found this box at this awesome little Japanese boutique in Dupont Circle in DC, but JList has it too ^_^

This is not practical at all, but good lord Rilakkuma is so awesome. Another JList find. He would probably make a better planter than jewelry box, really. Omg can you imagine flowers coming out of the back of his head? Yes, pls.

And no list describing any kind of retail product would not be complete without representation from Hello Kitty. I kind of love this display case for jewelry. Not amazingly practical, but if you've got some super cute stud earrings I think they would look adorable on these shelves!

I hope you liked my picks!

^_^

Things

2011-02-13T09:20:00.004-05:00

Some things I've been up to over on tumblr. Figure I'll still check in and do regular posts over here, too. It's kind of fun to have both...and I can do bigger stuff like tutorials and giveaways here ^_^

girl

2011-01-31T23:02:00.002-05:00

I drew this girl. Testing this whole blogger to tumblr thing. So far unsuccessful. New results: pending.

Moving to tumblr

2011-01-20T22:15:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! So I haven't blogged in a while, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm moving my blogstuffs over to tumblr.

http://thepinksamurai.tumblr.com/

Blogger just isn't doing what I want anymore and I think this new space will be a lot more fun ^_^ You can rss my new feed tho, and I promise not to be like other tumblr people and just post pics to be trendy.

Oh yeah...and I'm still all up ons twitter: http://twitter.com/BeckyPool

Thanks so much! Come play with me over there!

Pro dog is pro.

2011-01-19T16:20:00.002-05:00

This happened today.

Google Reader Project - Day 3: Crazy Enough

2010-07-10T23:28:00.005-04:00

This is by one of my favorite artists. His name is San and he's based in Hong Kong and he does the coolest vector illustrations! He hasn't updated since December, which is a bummer, but hopefully it's cuz he's super busy making awesome things. I originally found him through his Behance page, I've got one too and I like trolling around finding cool stuff. Anyway...here's some of his awesome.

2010-07-10T23:28:00.001-04:00

Google Reader Project - Day 2: Best Pieces

2010-07-09T22:12:00.002-04:00

Best Pieces is the blog of Studio on Fire. They are an amazing design and letter press studio. I like seeing what they're up to. Check out their newest stuff!

Google Reader Project - Day 1: Eleanore

2010-07-08T20:25:00.005-04:00

I am a slave to rss. My Google Reader is stuffed to the gills with design blogs, cat photos, web comics and super geeky stuff. Getting through all of them on daily basis is totally easy, if that's all I do all day long. And if I didn't have a job and Etsy shop, that would be completely doable. However, turns out I am gainfully employed (thank God) and do have a pretty awesome side business, so my reader stacks up. So to keep track of them, I figured I would feature 1 a day to kind of justify myself following it, and to share some of the fun with you!

So I'm just going to start at the top and work my way down. First up! Eleanor!

She's an amazing designer and illustrator based out of Philly. I actually had the pleasure of meeting her, briefly, on a trip into the area. She's a friend of a friend ^_^ Anyway, she does amazing work and I love seeing what she's up to and who she's working with. My sister actually has a pair of keds she designed! So yes...the blog is essential if you're a lover of good design. I will leave you now with pretty things I found on her site.

Oh! And if anyone wants to buy me this, I most definitely won't hold it against them.

7.6.2010

2010-07-06T22:24:00.002-04:00

doodling.

I've been really inspired lately and my confidence has been bolstered (mostly cuz I work next to this dude every day) so I've been drawing more and more. Now I just need to turn my sketches into actual, finished drawings...

Testing...Testing...

2010-06-28T20:25:00.004-04:00

Got allergy tested today. Not the worst thing that's ever happened to me, but I'd care not to do it again. Turns out dust mites and some wacky mold are the bane of my existence.

Let's take a look at my enemies.

img from wikipedia

Look at this unholy creature. It's their actual bodies and waste that have a protein that make everyone's heads explode. Gross. What a bunch of assholes.

img from www.tristaterestores.com

Then there's this bitch Cladosporium Hormodendrum. All that random mold that grows in your house through no fault of your own. Sucks.

--------------------------

So there it is. Going in for a follow-up next month to see what the next step is. Till then, investing in those pillow & mattress covers and I'm gonna try and not stick my face in mold.