Sunday, April 19, 2009

Handbag Cave: Style to Go!



At Handbag Cave online boutique, you'll find stylish, fashionable handbags by Raquel Gonzalez; she expertly designs & creates each one with a discerning eye for quality and detail.



I am irresistibly attracted to Raquel's sleek & shiny PRINCESS MAKE UP POUCH In Sour Apple.

As a vegan, I especially love the fact that it's made with faux leather and faux patent leather. Which is your favorite (perhaps it's the corduroy tote shown below with all those bells and whistles)! Let me know by leaving a comment and please, drop by Raquel's online accessories boutique today!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Wedding Pics: The Nicky and Cricky Show!


Our friend and photog pro Gary Kalpakoff was our photographer and he did a fantastic job--thank you, Gary!

Pics from Celeste & Nicholas' wedding this Saturday; we wanted to share just a few with you, our friends and family who mean so much to us.

First to set the scene...the wedding was held at the XBarH Lodge at Red Rock Retreat here in the high desert of southern Utah near the Grand Canyon. The pine lodge is 10,000 square foot in a gorgeous setting (yes, it really did snow--good thing we didn't get married outside as we were originally planning). Michele and JC, the lodge caretakers, were absolutely perfect. They were so helpful yet inobtrusive and really, really made us, our out of town family guests and all FOUR dogs present feel very welcome (Nicky and I and our families all stayed at the lodge before and after the wedding). Here's a view out of some of the windows in the huge upstairs loft:



My mom, Melena, who drove down from Idaho with her partner Mike, helped me get ready:



The guests were seated both below us and above us, the ceremony was held in the stairwell so everyone could see (this was just one, small part of the gigantic lodge):



I made both mine and our minister Lenny's scarves/wraps (Nicky and his team of pros did everything else!):



We held it together pretty well during the Mark Twain quotes...then our talented and fun musician friend, Victor Gutschalk, who had been playing the ukelele before the ceremony, broke out his classical guitar to sing & play The Wedding Song (There Is Love) by Peter, Paul & Mary:



Nicky started crying first, and that got me all teared up...then we started laughing at ourselves through our tears...we were a mess! Our minister Lenny handed me his kerchief to use:


Our friend Joy Moffat took this photo from the balcony!

Then I passed it on to Nicky:



Then all bets were off during Lenny's recitation of the "What is real?" passage from The Velveteen Rabbit...even Lenny (and most of the audience) lost it and Nicky had to hand him back the handkerchief!


Our friend Joy Moffat took this photo from the balcony!

Go ahead, I dare you...just try to read the passage out loud without tearing up (click on image below to view text):



After the ceremony, we got to hug and thank all our beloved guests, then we headed downstairs to enjoy the delicious, vegetarian spread that Nicky and his team of helpers made ready for us:



And then of course, we enjoyed some of the wonderfully delicious wedding cake that Nicky's cousins Jolene & Jim brought all the way from Colorado (Jolene is a professional cake maker and it shows--each tier was a different flavor and the top two were vegan!):



People keep asking us if we feel any different now that we're married. The fact that the answer is "Yes, we do!" was a surprise even to us (we've been together for over three years and own a home together)! It feels GREAT to be husband and wife and we feel even closer than before, if that's possible. ;)

You may be able to see more photos here and here. Thank you, everyone, for your well wishes, support and simply for being part of our lives. We truly cherish our peeps.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

I Organized My Yarn Stash!

Cleaning up my yarn collection was an all day project! Yes, with the wedding just a week and a half away, the push is on to get my scarf and Fringie photo prop studio pretty enough to wow out of town relatives. ;)

I worked all day today and I'm pleased with the results! I now have at least one of every yarn I own in ONE ROOM (and some backstock organized in cupboards in another room by color)!

Below are pictures, one wall at a time, of my newly beautified workspace.

As you enter the room and turn to your left, you'll see my neutrals, one of a kind smooth yarns and samples of each multicolor, textured yarn:



Next we see a huge shelf loaded with backstock of smooth yarns (this is where I pull out up to 34 yarns at a time to make fringe tassels, Fringe-O-Rama Scarves or Fringies). To the left are some of the flowers I use for my U Pick 'Em flowered boas. Below the shelf are some backstock and ribbon yarns:



Here we see my not-so-organized desk aka "packaging station." It, uh, didn't get organized today. Martian Manhunter can be seen in the upper left, casting a friendly and watchful eye over the process (we christened the cricket "Legs," he's the mascot from Mulan & was a birthday present from Nicky):



Lastly, yet more backstock, more ribbon yarns, the matrix/ladder yarns I use to make my See Through Lightweights line of scarves, "kits" of yarn I use for Fringies and Fringe-O-Ramas and...drumroll, please...finished product (scarves)!! Here we are:



Hope you enjoyed the little tour...yes, it may look like mess, mess and more mess. Still, it's all set up in a way that makes sense to me and will allow me to work more quickly and efficiently!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Family Pictures from Montana: My Homestate!



My brother Marcus just sent me these pics of my niece Sage and nephew Luke. I miss them so (they live in Stevensville, close to Lolo and Missoula, Montana where we grew up).

The horses shown are their rescued horses (Cory is the redder mother and the more brown horse is her daughter). That's quite a story...the two had been separated when their original owner gave them up, then reunited when Hope (my sister in law) and Marcus adopted them from two separate sources. Sweet, huh? You can see the obvious bond between Sage and her equine family members. Hope practices natural horsemanship with the horses and it's evident that they sense that they are a valued, respected part of family life.

Thistle (their beautiful dog in the picture below) was adopted from a local shelter, already grown up, housetrained, great with kids and the other animals--what a great find she is! :)

These pictures are a bit of a time warp...Sage looks tons like me and Luke is the spitting image of my younger brother (Marcus). If you'd told me that you'd just found these photos in a drawer somewhere of my brother and I, I would have believed you!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Care & Use of Your Fringie Professional Photography Portrait Prop

By Celeste (Crickets), Designer & Creator of Fringies Professional Photography Portrait Props

NOTE: Please click HERE to learn more about the double size Super Fringie (twice as large as the Fringies shown in this post, the Super expands to an oval about the same size as a sheepskin)

Thank you for choosing Fringies for your portrait photography business! Below are some great ways to get the most use out of your new photography prop.

Your Fringie will arrive folded and possibly a bit compressed from its journey. Remove it from its packaging, carefully unfold and gently shake, fluff and finger-comb, combing with the fingers of one hand while (optional) stabilizing the center seam with the other (it’s kind of like caring for a very colorful wig)!

Spreading your Fringie out into an oval shape allows for maximum coverage, giving two feet of additional length (one foot of fringe will extend past each end of the center seam). This technique is especially helpful to create a “halo” of color all around a newborn baby. Lay the Fringie down in its rectangular shape:



Then spread out either side of fringe like a fan into a semi-circle, so that it will create an oval. Here’s a picture that shows the seam and how the yarn is arranged:



It’s helpful to pat and jiggle the thick yarn at the center of the “fans” to spread it out toward the ends, and to finger-comb the yarns into place, combing with the fingers of one hand while stabilizing the center seam with the other. It doesn’t have to be perfect! Typically, the baby’s spine will lie along the (comfortable) center seam. Here’s an example from award-winning photographer Wende Trew of A Timeless Image of my Rainbow Fringie:



Another option is to use a basket in conjunction with a Fringie (TIP: TJMaxx can be a great source for prop baskets at a value price; I hear from my photographer customers that if the basket seems too small in the store, it's probably just right for newborns). Smaller baskets can be lined completely with the Fringie, like this image of the Bohemian Fringie by photo pro DeeDee DiMarco:



First, drape the Fringie over the front side of the basket like a towel hanging to dry (with the center seam parallel to the lip of the basket). Then, bring some fringe to the back, inner wall of the basket, as shown above.
For larger or deeper baskets, fill the bottom with folded towels or blankets to bring the baby and the Fringie into better view, as in the image below of my Rainbow Fringie, also by Wende Trew (the cute hat was knit by Allison of Pinch Knits):



Here's another example of a basket filled with towels with my Reversible Candy Shoppe Fringie on top...thanks for the photo, Suzanne Ivey of Ivey's Photography:



Or for maximum fringe showing outside the basket, bring both sides of fringe to the front, with the seam running from the inside lip of the basket toward the bottom of the basket (perpendicular to the floor), as in this photo by Tonia Kinch of Delicate Impressions Photography. This is a standard sized Candy Shoppe Fringie, yet it looks huge:



Here's one more from Tonia of the same Fringie, different baby, different pose (get the matching hat here):



I like how Kristina of Visual Empathy doubled my Bohemian Fringie slightly off-center for a full, "layered" effect, then brought all the ends to the front of the basket:



The Fringie can also be used as a newborn nest, as in this image by Leslie Cowger of LC Photography of the Rainbow Fringie:



or this shallow basket nest by rising star Amanda Cutler of Pumpkin Pie Photography with my Bohemian Fringie:



Here's another nest from Tracy Joy Photography, made with my Oatmeal Fringie:



Check out this pioneering idea from Heavenesque (my Oatmeal Fringie used as a blanket wrap!):



Here are a couple of other ideas for the Bohemian Fringie from Laura Bailey Photography:





To store your Fringie away from dust or pet dander, either drape it over a pants hanger and hang in a closet, or carefully fold and store on a covered shelf or in plastic.

Fringies are stain and wear resistant. For occasional spot cleaning, hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Do not wring (gentle squeezing is okay, please do not twist). Dry flat (or blow dry on cool setting).

For more photos or to contact me with questions, please visit my online boutique. Thank you again for your support, I'll end with a little photo gallery from some of my professional photographer customers who have been kind enough to send me pics from their photo sessions with my Fringies:

I love these photos of my Oatmeal Fringie from Neta Herron Photography and how she's put a snuggly blanket underneath as a backdrop for Fringie and Baby:





Here's a fun photo from Brianne Elizabeth Photography of her daughter Raelyn modeling my Reversible Candy Shoppe Fringie (Raelyn is 16 months in the picture and there's just room for the Fringie to drape over the front of the larger basket--it still looks great)!



And another from Brianne, same Fringie, this time with a tiny newborn:



Lastly Brianne shows a Reversible Candy Shoppe Fringie with the more masculine side up:



I love this fantastic shot from Dawn Simmons of Lasting Treasures Photography of my Bohemian Fringie...little Bella weighs only five pounds!:



Here's a beauty from Nicole Pellegrino of Snips & Snails Photography of my Rainbow Fringie:



And just in from Christina Traster of Snickerdoodles Photography of my Bohemian Fringie:



These two photos of my NEON Rainbow Fringie from Abbi Garling of Your Memories Photography are so different, I cherish them both:




Here's a great pic of the super-expressive Brayden, son of Leslie Cowger of LC Photography of the Rainbow Fringie:




Alisha of One Memory at a Time Photography, a sweet baby girl and my Bohemian Fringie in the newborn size

NOTE: Please click HERE to learn more about the double size Super Fringie (twice as large as the Fringies shown in this post, the Super expands to an oval about the same size as a sheepskin)

Please continue to check back for more fun photos; I'm adding all the time as my wonderful photog pro customers send them to me (thank you, thank you, you are truly cherished)! :)