Giveaway

To show you just how happy I am to be one of Alissa’s new sponsors, I am giving one of my famous fabric coffee sleeves along with a $10.00 Starbucks gift certificate to one lucky reader.  Every time I use mine in public I notice it gets a lot of positive attention and compliments. It is such a great (and healthier) alternative to those cardboard sleeves, don’t you think?

Mandatory entry:
Like me on Facebook
Go to Alissa's blog and leave a comment.
Be sure there is a way for her to contact you
in the same comment in case you win!

Additional entries:
Leave a separate comment for each one you do!

-Become one of Ooh Leela’s blog follower
-Follow Ooh Leela! on Twitter

Good luck!!!

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09/11

As we were driving home with family from a wonderful dinner in San Francisco, we couldn't pass up on the opportunity to visit Coit Tower.

So up the hill we went, standing in traffic for a good 45 minutes. And although these phone pictures don't do it justice, I hope it shows you just how majestic it looked.  Though an iconic and breathtaking landmark, never before has it looked quite this beautiful.

Coit Tower resembles a fire nozzle and it was built as a dedication to the Firefighters of San Francisco. Today we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, and I wanted to take a moment to thank all the brave men and women who have fought for our freedom and our lives. You and your sacrifices will never be forgotten.

29

Birthday Blessings

Instead of counting candles,
Or tallying the years,
Contemplate your blessings,
As your birthday nears.

Consider special people
Who love you, and who care,
And others who’ve enriched your life
Just by being there.

Think about the memories
Passing years can never mar,
Experiences great and small
That have made you who you are.

Another year is a happy gift,
So cut your cake, and say,
"Instead of counting birthdays,
I count blessings every day!"

By Joanna Fuchs

Thank you Lord for another wonderful year.

Kings Mountain Art Fair

Happy Labor Day to all my US and Canadian friends!

We went to the Kings Mountain Art Fair yesterday. I did not know what to expect since I had never been there before, but it was absolutely breathtaking. You see, the fair is located in the middle of nowhere, among gigantic redwoods full of unique and varied artists.

I had never been to a fair where the artists were so passionate about their work. Earlier this year, I went to the San Francisco Renegade Craft Fair. It was an overwhelming experience to say the least. They focused on the commercial side of things and there was no variety. I swear I must have seen 1000 letterpress shops. It was very boring to say the least (which is probably the reason it never became a blog post).

Kings Mountain Craft Fair however offered a variety of arts and crafts and featured artists who actually took the time to talk to you. It most certainly didn't feel like arts and crafts on steroids...

Even though there was so much to see, I felt very relaxed and at ease. Everything was organized in sections and it was truly one of the best fairs I have been to. Now, without further ado, let me share some pictures with you.

We left our car in the parking lot and took a trolley up to the fair. The parking lot was free, the trolley ride was free and the driver was extremely courteous. Such a nice setup.

The entrance - gorgeous right?!? Oh, free admissions too.

The booths were nestled between trees...

There were beautiful paintings...

... works of art (love his Pacifico eyes)...

Beautiful music...

A charming cabin full of artsy stuff like quilts, buttons, shawls, sweaters and purses:

Beautiful pots...

And much much much more! I wish I was able to photograph all the beautiful things I saw yesterday, but some of the artists were very strict about their "no pictures" policy.Which I completely understand. Kinda.

Such a happy and memorable day! Do you go to crafts show often? Have you ever been to a craft show that made you feel relaxed and at peace?

I hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by :)

Me

Happy September everyone!!! This is a very special month, because it officially marks the beginning of fall and because it is someone's birthday.... My birthday :)

I am proud to say that I am sponsoring another cool blog this month: Rags to Stitches Boutique. If you have not yet had a chance to visit this awesome blog, do it now. Totally worth it. Go on. I'll wait. Oh, and please tell me if you like my new ad. It was designed by the beautiful Mollie, from Wild Olive.

Back to today's post. Alissa from Rags to Stitches inspired me to copy her post. I just love the idea of being able to share with you a few personal things about me. I would love to hear more about you too!

A. age :: twenty eight, for 8 more days....

B. bed size :: queen

C. chore you hate :: laundry

D. dogs :: two: Melvyn and Leela. Melvyn is missing. Leela claims she is a baby, and not a dog.

E. essential start to your day :: check facebook, twitter, emails, play with Leela, multi-vitamins, cappucino

F. favorite color :: pink

G. gold or silver :: silver

H. height :: 5'7"

I. instruments you play :: nada

J. job title :: Accountant, crafter wannabe

K. kids :: Leela

L. live :: San Francisco Bay Area, CA

M. maiden name :: I have 2 - Secol Felix

N. nicknames :: Isa, piggy, Belinia

O. overnight hospital stays :: never, knock on wood

P. pet peeve :: fake people and traffic

Q. quote :: "Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi

R. righty or lefty :: righty

S. siblings :: one younger brother, Marcos

T. time you wake up :: when my hubby wakes up, at 5am. But then I go back to sleep and usually get up at 7am

U. university attended :: California State University, East Bay (aka CSU Hayward)

V. vegetables you dislike: I love veggies!

W. what makes you run late :: traffic, and the fact that I usually go back to sleep for 5 more minutes, which always turns out to be 15.

X. x-rays you’ve had :: dentist, knees

Y. yummy food :: I love to eat, but if I had to pick an absolute favorite it would have to be sushi

Z. zoo animal favorite :: I hate going to the zoo. The animals are always so sad. Love horses though.

Thank you so much for stopping by. As I said before, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to know more about you. Please tell us more about yourself in the comments below, or if you choose to copy this blog post, leave a link so we can come and visit! Xoxo's!

Recipe time! Leela's favorite scramble

I am back! Adios writer's block (I hope). Anyhoo, I was pretty hungry today and my fridge needed a little cleaning. So I used whatever I had on hand and made a scrumptious scramble. It was super easy to make.  Give it a try!

Leela's favorite scramble

Ingredients: feel free to use whatever you have on hand. No measurements provided, because this is a pretty forgiving recipe. This is what I used:

3 eggs

ham

cherry tomatoes
zucchini
hearts of palm (Costco offers amazing deals)
parmesan cheese
garlic
salt and pepper
parsley flakes
olive oil

Cut the ham into small pieces. Sautee it in olive oil until golden brown.

 

Dice zucchini. Add it to the pan along with minced garlic and cook it, in medium heat, for 2 minutes.

In a bowl, add eggs, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese, parsley, hearts of palm and salt and pepper. Beat it.

Add egg mixture to the pan. Cook without stirring, until eggs begin to set. 

At that point, stir the eggs until roughly scrambled. Keep doing this until eggs are fully cooked, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

 PS: It tastes even better if you somehow manage to get your significant other to do the dishes and clean your mess afterwards. Just sayin'....

Let me know what you think. Speaking of which, do you guys like seeing recipes here on the blog? Or do you prefer to hear about projects I am currently working on? I would very much appreciate some feedback :)

Enjoy!

Sunday chuckle

This video is shared in honor of our bulldog (and son) Melvyn. Melvyn was with us for a little over a year before he disappeared. He was an 8-week old puppy when we got him in Southern California. Although he did not surf, skateboard or snowboard, he was a mean soccer player. Melvyn wherever you are I hope that you know your Mommy, Daddy and sister miss you tremendously. It was an honor to have had you in our lives (even if it was for such a short period of time, and even though it still hurts that you are no longer with us). We love you.

Sorry I have been absent over this past week. I just had a bad case of writer's block and a whole lot of stuff on my plate.

Hope you have a great Sunday! Thanks for stopping by xoxo

Sunday chuckle

Source

Really? Really? Oh well, me too. Have a happy Sunday everyone!

More baby shower goodness

The outside of Mrs. H.'s uncle's house is so gorgeous, we only added a few extra touches. I made some pink and beige tissue paper pom poms. They were so easy (and inexpensive) to make and I think they looked adorable. We had lots and lots of chairs and a few small tables next to some of the chairs (covered in plastic table covers we got from the Dollar Store) so as to give people a place to put their drinks and plates.

We also added a gift table by the entryway and 2 large rectangular tables (found at Costco, also covered in plastic table covers) which we used to serve the food. We opted to keep all the food and drinks outside and the sweet stuff inside.

I put a bowl (that I got at Michaels, for 40% off), with pink rocks, water and a few pink daisies right where both tables met.

I wish I had more pictures of all the food we made, but we were running a bit late... We served pigs in a blanket (made by yours truly), clam dip & potato chips (made by hubby), veggie platters, chicken salad sammies, ham and cheese croissants, chicken tenders with ranch and bbq sauce, semi-homemade potato salad, cheese & crackers, fruit salad and tequenos.

And do you see the two tier trays we used to serve the cheese and crackers and chicken salad sammies? They used to be ugly Dollar Store silver trays! Tutorial coming soon.

We also served water, soda, sun tea, tropical punch and strawberry lemonade with fresh raspberries. 

We played so many fun games: guess how big momma is, feed the baby, baby raffle... Feed the baby was the best game and it was Mrs. H.'s idea! We bought baby bottles at the Dollar Store, filled them with milk, picked 3 couples, had the "boys" wear a diaper (depends), and the "girls" had to bottle feed the boys. It was hilarious to say the least!

We had lots of prizes, neatly stored in pink and white bags with a bow and a tag (that said Mrs. H.'s baby shower - 08/06/11)...

Let's not forget the party favors: Hershey's kisses (silver and pink) in beautiful organza bags. Who doesn't like Hershey's kisses?!?

Although we did not reinvent the wheel (you can see where most of my inspiration came from, if you visit me on Pinterest), I truly think everything came out really nice. What do you think?

Mrs. H., thank you so much for allowing me to help you plan & be a part of your special day! It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to meet Camila!!!

Are you planning any parties? If so, share the details, in the comment section below! 

Xoxos!

PS: tutorials and tips coming soon!

Baby shower: the evidence!

Hello friends! I have missed you so!

The past 3 weeks have been somewhat of a blur... But they have been the most wonderful 3 weeks of my life. As many of you may already know, I threw (along with another friend) a baby shower for Mrs. H. and baby Camila last Saturday.

Because other people were relying on me, I forced myself to craft and create every single night, after working for 8-10 hrs. and commuting for 1-2 hrs. I kind of knew I worked well under pressure before this whole baby shower planning thingy, but I am 100% sure now.

Totally worth it though. Everything came out so nice and Mr. and Mrs. H (and their families) were extremely appreciative.

Now, without further ado, here are some pics!

A little background: the party was held at Mrs. H.'s uncle's house. We set up the dessert/cake table in the dining room, and the appetizers/drinks/chairs/etc. outside, in the front yard. It was a beautiful summer day, and I think all in all, 30 people showed up.

From left to right: homemade creamy jell-o (recipe coming soon), cake pops (I succeeded friends! It turns out I CAN bake), an unconventional diaper cake (on a cupcake stand - quick how to coming soon), decorative mini vases (quick how to coming soon as well).

I made a fabric bunting for baby Camila, which is something Mrs. H. can use in her nursery... I will be sharing some of my sewing tips soon.

 

A close-up:

I also dyed some paper doilies... That was so much fun!!! Cut them in half, glued them to some beautiful ribbon and voila... instant cuteness.

Tomorrow I will share more pictures, so you can see what the front yard looked like (as well as all the food!).  As promised, I will share a few quick tutorials, how-to's and tips later this week.

How was your weekend?

Thank you so much for stopping by. Xoxo's!

Busy bee

Sorry I have been AWOL. Things have been and will continue to be a bit crazy this week. I have been working non-stop getting everything ready for the baby shower I am hosting this Saturday.

The bad news is I won't be around much this week.

The great news is that I am preparing lots of tutorials as I make things for the shower. HOORAY! More on that next week....

I do want to remind you that The Etsy Angels and I are still raising money for Love for Malacia Babies. If you have a couple of minutes, please take a look at some of our shops. We have so many cool things!

Some cool finds:

Applique alphabet by Nana Company

Tutorial: Fabric flower headbands by Crafty Nest

Quickie coasters by the Split Stitch

I hope you have a great week!