Things are Taking Off!

I recently launched my Etsy Shop and officially have listed a whopping FIVE items, everything from stitch markers to earrings to handmade greeting cards.  I don't have a particular direction for the shop right now other than I want to share my handmade goodies with the world!  I even made a fanpage on Facebook so look me up there and "like" my website!  Right now I have 23 fans and honestly, I don't even know all of them!  Some are friends of friends, but the majority of these fans, I don't even know and that excites me so much!

I have big plans for my little craft empire.  I want to buy a domain name one of these days.  I've thought about podcasting too because I just love to talk.  I want to be famous!

Somebody who has been very inspiring to me has been Dani of the Craft Culture podcast.  Her podcasts are fun to listen to and informative.  A lot of people know that I was studying cultural anthropology at UNC, so anything dealing with sociology or anthropology fascinates me.  Right now she is trying to raise money to travel the United States on a tour. She needs money to do this, so GO DONATE TO HER! Seriously, help a sista out and donate to her. Even a couple bucks will help. I want to meet her this summer so donate money so I can do so!

In other news, I'm knitting a lace shawl and am about a third of the way through with it.  I'm loving knitting simple lace and have completely memorized the pattern.  Yay me.

Go donate to Dani.

Love,
Lulu

Just Bead It!

I spent Wednesday night at my bestie's house and got some fun beading done.  Melanie made me some gorgeous stitch markers for me to list in my Etsy Shop.  She gave me some extra charms to make some of my own too.  I also made a couple sets of my own stitch markers.  Pictured at right are a couple sets that Melanie made that will be getting listed on Etsy soon.

On Thursday, we checked out Hobby Lobby, where Melanie works, and I got some really gorgeous turquoise beads and elastic to make a couple bracelets.  Next was one of the local bead shops downtown which recently moved to a bigger location.  I love this shop, and managed to find some really cute dragonfly charms to make a set of stitch markers.  There are two beads on each stitch marker, the bigger of which is also from We've Got Beads and the smaller ones were "stolen" from Mel.

I'm excited about making stitch markers and hope to make lots of other pretty beaded goodies to sell on Etsy and give as gifts.  What do you think?

coffee and cashmere,
Lulu

Avon Lady Calling!

That's right readers, I've started selling one of Amercia's oldest beauty brands: Avon.  If you want to check out my Avon website and order from me, enter "FSANY" for free shipping on any order. If you have any interest in becoming an Avon representative, I can also get you the hook-up on that; all it takes is $10 to start.

Okay, I'm sure I sound like a sales pitch, but I wanted to share how exciting it has been for me to sell Avon. I've always loved the company; after all, who didn't grow up with a Skin So Soft product or an Avon lipstick in the house? Since starting this endeavor, I've rediscovered some of my favorite products, like Glimmersticks eyeliner or Slick Tints lip balm, and found some new ones, like their new line called Moisture Therapy.  I hope you take a chance to check out the website, and if you have any questions to hit me up.

http://www.youravon.com/lrossi

Coffee & cashmere (& lipstick!),

Lulu 

A Cross-Stitching First

I've dabbled with embroidery and cross-stitch for many years, but I've never really finished anything entirely...Until now!  Pictured here is the finished cross-stitched bib.  I don't really remember the whole story behind this project, which just shows how long it's been since I started it.  I think one of my classmates in eighth grade gave it to me so she wouldn't feel like a dork working on her own bib at lunch.  What exactly I'm going to do with it, I'm not sure either.  I honestly think I might start a hope chest to be filled with other baby-related items and nice things for the house I hope to own someday.  I've been so inspired by finishing this cross-stitch bib that I've started another one.  I can't knit all of the time...

coffee & cashmere,
Lulu

Bring It On, Universe!

Right now I am taking a break from packing up all of my stuff.  This sounds weird considering classes are supposed to be starting tomorrow, but I won't be staying at UNC this semester.  I've had a lot of trouble performing well academically since I started there in 2008, and it's been decided that I am moving back home to Pueblo and living with my parents.

This is a blow because I'm going to miss my friends so much.  I've made my little family up here and it sucks beyond all belief to leave them behind.  The people I have met through my journey at this university have been so amazing.  I am grateful to them for the impact they have had on me.

My now ex-boyfriend and I did a tarot reading Friday night that proved to be very interesting.  I received the Seven of Cups, a very special card.  Through my struggles with this new adventure I will find my life's purpose.  As scared as I am about everything new that could start soon, I'm excited to see where life will take me.

And yes, you read that right... Cameron and I have ended our eight month relationship.  People have been making a big deal about it even though I'm all right.  It was a mutual decision made with love and respect, and I'm happy that we had the relationship that we did for so long.  He has changed my life in ways neither of us may ever know.

I better get back to this whole moving thing.  And making coffee because I'm emotionally exhausted!

A Couple Cups

Hello my lovelies!  I am back in my own apartment awaiting the start of the spring semester.  My trip was amazing, and I hope that I will eventually write posts about each amazing day.  However, here's some prose about what I've been up to the past few days...

I still owe Melanie her Christmas present.  I had a friend from out of town stay with me before I left for California and was unable to finish sewing her gift.  I'm making a ton of progress, but I won't tell you exactly what this is in case she reads this. (HI MEL!) So I've been working on her belated present while watching TV reruns on my laptop and drinking coffee out of my new mug.  I think it is officially one of the coolest mugs I've ever owned!   It says "MAKE COFFEE NOT WAR" and I found it in a little gift shop in Long Beach while we were in California and paid a mere $4 for it!

One of the most awesome presents I got this Christmas was from Melanie and her mom: a mix to make a cupcake in a cup! Of course I'm totally into cupcakes and all things yummy and chocolate so today I made my cupcake in a cup.  It doesn't exactly look like the most appetizing thing in the world but after five minutes in the microwave, I had a literal cup cake!  It was strawberry-flavored chocolate, odd but still yummy.  The cup is really more like a small bowl with a handle so I'm sure it will be useful.

Now on to more sewing and even more coffee!!

Christmas in California: Day One

I'm writing this post from my hotel room in Garden Grove, California, just outside Anaheim which is home to the beloved Disneyland.  Instead of staying home and making a big deal about Christmas, my family has decided to spend the week in and around the happiest place on earth.  Yes, I see the irony in spending the holidays at some place that will be over-decorated as an effort to avoid Christmas.

Anyway, we flew into Orange County yesterday morning and spent the day exploring the J. Paul Getty Museum, a beach in Malibu, and part of West Hollywood. 

Thanks to the new Canon Powershot digital camera that I received as an early Christmas present from my folks, I have well over one hundred pictures to prove it!  It's amazing how much of a shutterbug I've become now that I have a 4gig memory card in the pretty new camera.  I'm still learning all the settings, but one of the best ones I think has been the "Sunset" setting, which I utilized while in Malibu just before sunset. 

This picture is my younger sister Gina, taking a picture with her own camera of our other sister Rachel.  The lighting is amazing and I'm very impressed with the camera.  I don't expect that every picture I shoot with this new camera will be amazingly artistic like this one, but I'm having a blast with it regardless.

Okay, I realize this is a craft blog and I haven't talked about any crafting yet!  I did bring three different knitting projects on this trip: the malabrigo scarf, a vanilla sock, and the lace shawl I started this summer.  I'm making decent progress on the scarf and it should be done on this trip I hope or shortly soon after.  It's hard to get much knitting in though with all the running around.  Sadly I get carsick fairly easily so I have to be careful with what I chose to work on.  But this was only the first day of a week-long trip so who knows what this week will bring.  Stay posted for another post soon!

Coffee and cashmere,
Lulu