Andrea's Garden

Sale!

2011-06-23T16:02:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would let you guys know that I currently have a 50% off sale going on in my Etsy shop! All vintage items are on sale because I'm not going to sell vintage items any more- while it is super fun, it is very time consuming and storing all those fabulous clothes takes a lot of space that I don't have.

So hop on over to the shop and see what you can see!

A fun little WIP

2011-06-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I thought I would pop in and show you something I'm currently working on. The finished sock pictured has been done for quite a while now, and I have finally gotten around to starting the other pair.

This isn't the only pair of socks I'm working on... the fishies are still in progress, although they have fallen to the wayside because this pair is so much easier to work on and I can knit these while watching TV.

I have a couple more stripes to go and I will be done! Then you guys will get to see a photo of them modeled. How fun! :) In other news, I've been busy updating the spinning supplies shop, so stop by and check it out!

So what's the difference? Top vs. bottom whorl spindles.

2011-05-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

The question I get often from beginning spinners is...

What's the difference between a top and bottom whorl spindle?

Top whorl spindles have the whorl closer to the top of the shaft, and bottom whorl spindles have the whorl near the bottom of the shaft.

Top whorl spindles generally spin faster, but for shorter amounts of time.
Bottom whorl spindles spin slower, but longer. Also, bottom whorl spindles tend to be more steady and less wobbly than top whorl spindles.

Top whorls spindles are better suited for spinning thinner yarns, while bottom whorls flourish with thicker yarns. However, it is perfectly possible to spin thick yarn on top whorls and thin yarn on bottom whorls.

So which one should I get?

My advice to you would be to get both. There are some people whose favorite spindle is a top whorl, and some people who swear by bottom whorls. It really comes down to your personal preference. Some beginners like that the bottom whorls spin longer, allowing for more time to draft the wool. If you will be using the park-and-draft method (as some beginners do), a top whorl spindle might be the better choice for you. Since they spin faster, twist builds up faster than it would on a bottom whorl spindle.

Sorbet & Yarn

2011-04-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

It's been really hot around where I live recently. Way too hot for March/April anyway.
So I decided to make some sorbet with the handy dandy ice cream maker that we use maybe once every month. I used this recipe except I used cherries instead of blueberries and didn't make the macarons. Macarons are still on my to-do list, though.
Anyway, it came out delicious and I'm going to make more today. :)

In other news, I added some handspun yarn to my shop! Check it out.

I'll leave you with some photos of my morning walk. :)

The picture on the left is my dog, Fluffy. We have 3 dogs, but the other 2 were further down the hill with my mom. Photos above were taken with Hipstamatic- I love that app!

P.S. Have you heard of Heartsy? You need to check it out! It's like groupon for Etsy, and today they are featuring dennisanderson!

Wednesday Wishes

2011-03-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

My number 1 wish this week is for more time! It seems like this week is just flying by...

Aren't these bracelets fabulous?

(source)

This tiny lace spindle is just so cute! And I bet it spins wicked fast. Yes, I just said "wicked fast."

(source)

I admire people who can embroider well... I'm not very good at it.

(source)

This wallet tutorial is pretty awesome. I'm going to make it out of a thrifted wool skirt for Project Restyle. I'm thinking I want to add a special pocket for my iPhone... should be easy to do, right?

Hope you are having a great week. :)

Thrifty Thursday: Preparing for spring...

2011-03-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Whew! I haven't done a Thrifty Thursday post in quite a while!

A couple of days ago I went to the thrift store and realized I only had 30 minutes until the store closed. So I decided to head to the dress section to find some pieces to restyle after quickly scanning the shoe section.

I found both of these dresses for 1 dollar! They are perfect for spring, which is right around the corner. I probably won't do anything too fancy- just some hemming and taking in is all these beauties need.

P.S. Check out my guest post over at Jeanette the Jongleur!
P.P.S. Take a look-see at my cousin's blog: cmoRACEDRIVER. He's an aspiring race car driver and he recently volunteered at a local speedway. He has some awesome photos!

Some doodling...

2011-03-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

...from a month ago. Found these in my room and thought I'd share. :)

Pictures from the trip to the beach

2011-02-25T13:26:00.000-08:00

When we got to the beach on Friday night, it was pouring down rain. It rained on-and-off all weekend, but there were spots of sunshine, so we took advantage of the opportunities by hanging out on the shore and walking down to the pier

This is the outfit I wore on Saturday.

The lovely pier!

Me and my mom. :) She was feeling kind of sick that day, thus the big jacket.

Me and my brother... he didn't want to take the picture, can you tell?

Whew! That was a lot of photos. Hope you are having a great weekend.

Outfits :)

2011-02-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

Here's two outfits that I have worn recently...

Skirt: Vintage, from a garage sale for $0.50 :)
Cardigan: Thrifted
Scarf: Thrifted
T-Shirt: Forever 21

Shoes: Vintage, thrifted
Skirt: It's actually a dress that I turned into a skirt because it was way too short if I wore it like a dress. Before and after photos to come soon.
Belt: Thrifted
Blouse: Thrifted
Scarf used as headband: From a garage sale

It feels like I haven't blogged in forever, but it's only been 4 days. This week has been crazy- we went to the beach to watch my aunt's dpgs over the weekend, and that was fun, but it messed with my schedule. So I've been trying to get caught back up with school, shipping packages, blogging, and reading my e-mail. It's amazing how far back 2 days can set you.
I'll share pictures from the weekend at the beach soon, but for now I will leave you with a song that is stuck in my head:

P.S. The winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway is commenter #7, crissyampersand! Please e-mail me at sunnie_fairy(at)yahoo(dot)com to claim your prize.

My Typewriters

2011-02-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

Today I am going to introduce you to... my vintage typewriters!

I found them all on the same weekend, in 3 different places. Crazy, right? And all for amazing prices- Between $10 and $8!

The typewriter above is the one in my header. :)

I'm still keeping my eye out for a pretty, pastel typewriter to add to my collection!
What about you? Do you have any vintage collections?

My finalized blog design

2011-02-17T22:48:00.001-08:00

Sighhh... it's done. and I love it! (If you are reading in a reader, hop on over here!) I started working on my blog about a week and a half ago. Whenever I could sneak some time in, I would finish another little detail. 30 minutes here, 20 there.

Before I was done, I probably went through 3 different headers. I just couldn't decide which one I liked the best! I finally picked the one I have now, and I think it's pretty and simple, just the way I like it. I added some pages, a sidebar, and a navigation bar. I also made some blog buttons, and beautified my sidebars with links to follow me and find me on different sites.

I love designing blogs, so I also fixed up my other blog. Check it out here.

I'm kind of sad because I don't have any more blogs to work on! But then I thought... maybe one of my readers would like a new look! So, if you like the design of my blogs and are interested in having me work on your blog, please e-mail me at sunnie_fairy(at)yahoo(dot)com.
The first person who contacts me will get a blog makeover free of charge. :)

Alright, that's it for now folks. Stay tuned, tomorrow I will be blogging about my vintage typewriters.

Project Restyle: Keds

2011-02-16T23:13:00.000-08:00

It's time for another Project Restyle! Click to see my previous projects.
I picked up these vintage white keds from the thrift store a while back for $2.
The only problem was they were yellowed. But then I found another pair of white keds that were in much better condition, so I snapped those up and threw this pair into the restyle pile.

Then I was inspired by twig+bone, who was inspired by bleubirdvintage, to paint my shoes. So I got some pink paint, and ta-da! New shoes. Can't wait to wear them tomorrow!

I was thinking that I'd really like to add some velvet laces... I just can't decide if should get pink or white. Or both.

Over all, I love how they turned out, and I will be on the lookout for more shoes to paint. :)
I just wish there was some way to get rid of the remaining yellowness. Maybe I'll paint that area white...

Wednesday Wishes

2011-02-16T18:10:00.001-08:00

All items are from Etsy... because I just love handmade stuff so, so much. :)

(Source)

What I've Worn

2011-02-14T16:03:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy Valentine's Day! This morning me and my family had some bad-for-you donuts. But they were oh-so-good. :)

I wore this outfit yesterday.
Flats: CSNstores.com
Jeans: From a friend
Gray tank top: Forever 21
Top: Thrifted
Cardigan: Thrifted and taken in on my sewing machine.

I wore this outfit on Saturday to my brother's basketball games.
Boots: Thrifted
Jeans: From a friend
Tank top: Forever 21
Top: Old Navy, thrifted
Jacket: Thrifted

I wore this outfit on Thursday.
Socks: Walmart
Skirt: Vintage, thrifted
Top: From a garage sale
Tank top: Forever 21

I wore this outfit on Friday. The top has this really cute detailing on the back, but I didn't take a picture. :( And I just noticed that the flap on the left that is supposed to go over my shoulder was folded over. Oh well.
Flats: CSNstores.com
Leggings: They were a gift
Shorts: Thrifted
Top: Thrifted

... and my Valentine's day outfit!
Sandals: Forever 21
Skirt: Old Navy, thrifted
Scarf-used-as-belt: From an estate sale
T-shirt: Charlotte Russe
Tank top: Forever 21

Thanks for reading. :)

Giveaway from Shabby Apple!

2011-02-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Today I have a very lovely giveaway for you from the Shabby Apple!
The Shabby Apple has generously offered to giveaway one of their Cider dresses to one lucky winner! The Shabby Apple has also supplied a coupon code for the readers of Andrea's Garden. Use andreasgarden10off when checking out for 10% off your purchase!All you have to do to enter is "like" the Shabby Apple on Facebook and comment on this post.
For extra entries: Tweet, post on your blog or facebook, and follow my blog on Google, Bloglovin', Bloglines, or some other reader (links in the left sidebar). For every extra entry, please post a separate comment letting me know what you did.
This giveaway is open to US residents only. A winner will be picked Feb. 19, 2011.

Winner of CSN Stores Giveaway!

2011-02-11T22:49:00.001-08:00

And the winner is... #11, Katrina!
Congrats! You won a $25 giftcard to CSNStores.com!
I will be e-mailing you. :)

Thanks everyone for entering!
P.S. I have a giveaway from Shabby Apple coming up!

The fancy camera

2011-02-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

So today I finally was brave enough to try out my brother's super fancy camera. You know, the kind that has lenses and all that jazz. It's very intimidating, but I am going to start using it for all my photos and I'm sure I will fall in love with it.
Here's some photos I snapped today:

Yum, beans and egg in a fresh bolillo. :)

(I added text and blurred the photo in photoscape.)

So today I finally was brave enough to try out my brother's super fancy camera. You know, the kind that has lenses and all that jazz. It's very intimidating, but I am going to start using it for all my photos and I'm sure I will fall in love with it.
Here's some photos I snapped today:

Wednesday Wishes: Trends

2011-02-09T22:16:00.000-08:00

Fringe.

source

Lace-up boots.

source

Amethyst.

source

Bunting.

source

P.S. I added a new bloglovin' button to my sidebar! Or you could just click the link below...
Follow my blog with bloglovin

Outfit, nails, yarn, and screenprinting.

2011-02-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

I finished spinning the pink and gray yarn! I love how it turned out.

I wore this outfit yesterday to a "young entrepreneurs" meeting. Once I got outside to take the photos, I realized I forgot shoes and I didn't want to go back in to get them, so there you have it.

I gave myself a french manicure today. Yay for pretty nails! Let's see how long they last before getting chipped...

I started a little project! I read this tutorial on Pamplemousse and had to do it, so I brought out the old embroidery hoop and got to work. It's all pinkish around the hearts because I did a test run and the color didn't fully wash out. I didn't use the "scrape" technique she shows in her tutorial, and just kind of painted over it like it was a stencil, and that didn't work to well, so I am going to give it another go tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Things I love

2011-02-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

Bagels and cream cheese.

The perfect lipstick.
Elf Lipstick in Seductive.

Little kid's basketball games that go into triple overtime and cause you to almost have a heart attack.

Giving handmade.
(You can see the wooden mountain stacker from imagination kids in the corner.)

Playing Cranium.

Hair buns and dorky brothers. (I just realized that my hair looks like 4 different colors in this photo... weird.)

I also love the I also love the iPhone app Hipstamatic, which I took all these photos with.

Giveaway from CSNstores.com

2011-02-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

Today I have an opportunity for you guys to win a $25 gift card to CSNstores.com!
CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be wall art and decor, shoes, or even cute cookware!

Here are some of my favorite items from their stores that are around $25:
1. Coco Flats in Cognac, $27 and free shipping.
2. Herringbone baby hat, $19.99
3. Eco Sport Dog Leash, $23.95

All you have to do is comment on this blog post, and you are entered to win.
For extra entries: Tweet, post on your blog or facebook, and follow my blog. For every extra entry, please post a separate comment letting me know what you did.
Please be sure to leave some way for me to contact you if you win.
~~You have until February 11, 2011 to enter & good luck! :)~~
A winner has been picked!

Mish Mash

2011-02-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

1. An outfit that I don't really like all that much:

Shirt, Charlotte Russe
Shorts, Charlotte Russe ~ I took them in on the sides.
Leggings, restyled from a XXXL t-shirt ~ No before picture. :(
Shoes, vintage thrifted

2. Another outfit- except I like this one. (Sorry about the arm, I was too lazy to get the tripod out)

Button-up, restyled.
Jeans, from a garage sale months ago.
Belt, thrifted.

3. Have you seen my other blog? Go check it out! I put together showcases featuring new etsy sellers and I also have giveaways ever so often! :)

4. You need to check this out. Pretty cool.

5. As you might have already seen, I am in the middle of a blog makeover. The blue design I had up was just a temporary thing until I had time to work on the real deal. What do you think so far? I'm not done yet, there is still some things I need to finish up, but this is basically how it's going to look. I can't decide if I like the font in the header or not... how about you?

Stay tuned, I am going to post a giveaway from csnstores.com on here later today!

Wednesday Wishes: The bee's knees.

2011-02-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

Little legwarmers...

Honeycomb ring

Handmade floral leggings

Honeycomb tie

Pale pink TOMS.

ReStyles!

2011-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today I have 2 more restyles to share with you...
I turned this long-sleeved button-up shirt into a short sleeved shirt. I also took the sides in a bit. I will wear it sometime soon, so you can look forward to an outfit post. :)
I got the shirt from the thrift store for $1.79. Score!

This next one, I am super happy with. I did shirring for the very first time! I'm now in love with shirring. It's simple, and has really cute results! So here's what I did for this restyle: I took it in on the sides, chopped off the bottom (I have enough left that I could make a skirt), shortened the straps, and added 4 rows of shirring underneath the bust. I'm considering adding more rows... what do you think? Thanks for reading! I'll post my "Wednesday Wants" later today...

Shoes + Lip Balm

2011-02-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

I made another pair of house shoes! These turned out almost perfect. They are a tad too big for me. :( I got the denim/velvet skirt from the thrift store, and I forgot to take a picture until after I had already cut the fabric up. If anyone is interested in them, they are 9.5 in. from heel to toe and 3.25 in. at the widest point. E-mail me at sunnie_fairy(at)yahoo(dot)com if you want them. I will sell them for $15 plus shipping. I still have some of the fabric left, so I'm going to make them again, but smaller. I'm on the hunt for the perfect rubber soles. I like using leather, but I want something more water proof.

I made lip balm! I'm really proud of myself- it's something I've been wanting to do for a couple of months now. I'm going to hand them out to my friends for valentine's day.

I made them on Sunday while watching the football games. It was a simple but tedious process- I had to hand pour the melted mix into each of those tiny twist-tubes. I got the mix from thesage.com and added my own flavor oil and coloring.

All I need to do now is design some cool labels...

I have 2 more restyles to share with you tomorrow. I'm super excited!
How are you doing with your restyling?

Current Projects: Socks and more yarn!

2011-01-31T15:15:00.000-08:00

After finishing the hat and yellow/blue yarn, it was time to move on to the next works-in-progress. I dived into my big box of unfinished projects, and came up with these two:
After I finished the first pair of these socks, I just stopped working on them. So yesterday I cast on for the second sock and I am halfway done with the ribbing. They are the Swedish Fish Socks.

Next, I found this gray bamboo and pink mohair yarn. It's definitely an interesting combo.
When I first started this project, I didn't have a spinning wheel and I was spinning it with a spindle. So when I picked it up again, I transferred it to my wheel and I'm 3/4 of the way done with it now.

Come back tomorrow! I will be talking about lip balm and shoes. (Surprise, surprise!)