The Lola Show

Coral Reef Inspiration

2011-01-30T19:07:00.000-08:00

These blow my mind...

Jason de Caires Taylor creates these lifelike, lifesized sculptures, and submerges them in the ocean, where nature then takes its course. I've been obsessed since the first moment I saw these, and visiting them is one of my dreams. In the meantime, I used my obsession to inspire a coral reef inspired necklace:

The gold and silver chain links, pale pink cats eye beads, the red beads,the dark blue beads and the pink crystal beads are all from discarded/salvaged vintage jewelry (pre 1960's). The pink freshwater pearls, the gold tube beads, the gold seed beads and the head pins are all new. The clear blue acrylic "crystals" were recycled from a holiday candle ring.

Necklace is not currently for sale in my shop, but more information is available by contacting heylola {at} sbcglobal {dot} net.

So many blogs, so little time...

2011-01-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

I now have three blogs.

THREE. It's like I have a death wish for my free time, or something. Anyway, moving forward...

Love Hey Lola will continue to be...um...I'm not sure what it is, but it will continue to be that.

A Splendid Thing will be wedding and event related, since I'm now completely immersed in that industry.

This blog is going to be dedicated to promoting my own online shop, and also the shops of others, with the focus on handmade and vintage clothing and jewelry.

So, with that in mind, check out the awesome:

A Beautiful Mess has an ongoing project called "Project Restyle."

Are you freaking out? Because I'm freaking out. I see these dresses EVERYDAY at the thrift stores...why didn't I think of this?
(Amazing dress redo by Keiko Lynn)

I would wear that dress with this necklace:

(Necklace via Love Hey Lola , also known as me!)

...or maybe this headband:

(headband viaLa Camelot)

...or these earrings:

(Via Stefeny Stanyer)

...Or maybe I would just wear the dress as is, and pair everything else with a simple t-shirt and jeans.

Video Filler

2011-01-10T20:29:00.001-08:00

I know this video is 5+ years old, and I've seen it 5,000,000+ times...but it's still awesome.

DIY Bridal Show Business Cards and/or Favors

2011-01-09T20:43:00.001-08:00

I just had an "Oh my gosh, you should really be proud of yourself!" moment when I saw that I had NOT neglected this blog, but had actually posted just a few days ago....go me!

...Then I realized that the most recent posting was January 4....2010. Dang. Anyway, I'm back...not really refreshed and probably quite a bit more tired than I used to be...BUT with a shiny new crafty career that I can talk your ear off about!

(Part of my new craft career is making ginormous centerpieces...but that comes later)

I'm knee deep in the wedding industry now, having taken the position of Event Coordinator for a local banquet facility. I was at a wedding and/or reception every single weekend this summer. You probably don't care about that. What you might care about is this:

I've learned things. Things that might help people who are planning wedding type things. Things that might help YOU. First thing:

How to make a stand out but relatively cheap wedding favor

As part of our (event coordinators) job, we occasionally set up a booth at local bridal shows. Rather than hand out business cards and cross our fingers and toes that it didn't get lost in the pile of business cards that was being thrown at every bride who walked through the door, we decided to make favors.

We were fortunate because we had a pile of "shooter" tubes in stock, unused and still in the shipping box, hiding in one of our offices. These normally cost anywhere from 27 cents to about a dollar each. Ours were free - score! The bad news - they were free because they were branded with someone's company logo and we had to be a little creative in hiding the labels. No worries - we've got creative covered.

I have a pretty large stash of vintage fabrics, papers, laces and ribbon. Vintage rather than antique means I got the stuff cheap. We covered the mid portion of the tubes with sheet music, lace and ribbon, at a cost of about 20 cents total for a batch of 100.

We then filled each tube with pastel colored candies. I love Jellie Bellies, but they're super expensive. We compromised and did a mix of the Bellies, some mint melts and some tiny chocolate nib things. Because we didn't plan far enough ahead, we ended up buying the candy at a local store, at a cost of about $27.00 to fill the 100 tubes. Had we ordered ahead of time, and in bulk, it would have been significantly cheaper.

We also had to get creative with the lids - we didn't have any and buying corks was cost prohibitive. Instead, we cut circles out of cardstock and used masking tape to hold them in place. Which wasn't very pretty...

So we glued fabric hydrangeas on top of each one and all of the sudden - pretty!(I always buy my flowers on sale - I think each hydrangea probably cost a penny)

We then punched holes in my business cards, took some tulle and lace and attached them to each tube. The tulle and lace? Part of my collection, so super cheap.

(Sorry about all of the grainy photos - my phone camera skills are seriously lacking. You get the idea though, right?)

So:
Test tubes: Free
Lace, fabric, paper: 25 cents (although probably not even that much)
Hydrangeas: 1.00
Candy: $27.00

Total per favor = Approximately 29 cents

The bridal show attendees loved our business card favors and took them even if they didn't need a reception hall (which is ok - everybody knows somebody that's getting married).

You can do the same thing, super cheap, using the following tips:

* Buy tubes in bulk - "shooter" tubes ae the cheapest way to go (a Google search will bring up lots of options), but you might need to get creative creating lids. You can do it - you're totally creative.

* Check thrift stores for ribbons and lace - you'll save major money. I thrift a LOT, and in my experience, church run thrift stores always have the best selection of laces and ribbons, at unbelieveably cheap prices (remember that 20 cents part I wrote about up there?)

* If you're being crafty and frugal, and you want the nicest fabric flowers at the best price possible, go for hydrangeas. They come in bunches, pull apart easily, and you get the most flowers for your money. You can even add tiny rhinestones to the middle of each one to give them a bit more "wow!" Don't forget that most craft stores discount their flowers on a regular basis - wait for the sales and save even more.

* Hand cut favor tags from card stock and stamp the back with a pre-made "thank you" stamp. Just like the flowers, stamps are regularly put on sale and if you hold out, you can get them 50% off. If you want something a bit more personalized, this shop:

Letter Girl is one of my very favorites. I used her for my own wedding and cannot say enough good things about her service and products.

Good luck, and if you have questions, let me know - sometimes I 've got answers!

New things...and newer things...

2010-01-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

So, I broke down and bought new materials for my jewelry. Rest assured, most of mwhat I'm working with is still salvaged, recycled, vintage, etc...but there were some big ol' rocks that I was just DYING to work with:

The above can be found here
PLUS, I have some things over at Etsy
here

...and as usual, the chaos is over
here

That's a lot of places to be...I might need to consolidate things soon...

Holiday Sparkle - Statement Necklaces

2009-12-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

I'm obsessed with creating big, beautiful messes to drape around your neck...

Statement necklaces have always been one of my favorite accessories - I feel very Frida Kahlo/super sophisticated artist when I wear them. Also, even if I've got less than a dollar in my pocket, a statement necklace makes me feel super glamorous. If you think you can't pull one off, think again. They look great on just about everyone and go with a t-shirt and jeans just as well as they go with a little black dress.

These are my picks for some holiday sparkle (and, yes - I picked one of my own!):

(Fidget Jewely)

(Divine Rose)

(T8Designs)

(Hey Lola)

(Laura Stafford Jewelry)

Lt. Gizmo Lee McGheewok, Defender of Fort Backyard

2009-09-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Just when I started really hanging out in this blog again...we had a major crisis at our house. One of our darling, gorgeous, PERFECT dogs was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease (say that 5 times fast). We found this out because his back legs simply quit working normally one day. So, the last 2 weeks have been lots of visits to the vet, lots of cage confinement for Gizzy Lee, lots of hand wringing and crying and wondering what we should do. We finally took him to the University of Illinois, which is apparently where all of the animal neurosurgeons hang out. We decided to go ahead and have them perform surgery on his spine.

It's amazing. He walks funny, but he's absolutely walking again. So, this post is dedicated to all of the great things that I intend on buying him when he's finished with his rehab....and I get done paying off his vet bills :)

Super cute, eco-friendly pet bed (in pink and green, of course!):

and matching pink and green collar:

(both from Annie's Sweat Shop)

Newman's Own Organic Dog Treats (I love Newman's Own....I mean, the people food. Specifically, the Fig Newmans. I haven't tried the dog treats. I'm sure they're delicious.):

(Available at Petco)

Intervertebral Disc Disease is actually a really, super serious condition with dogs. We caught it with Gizmo pretty early, so his prognosis is fantastic. However, it can progress from mild pain to complete paralysis within days....sometimes even hours. Apparently it's very common with corgis, beagles, dachsunds and pekingese (Gizmo's a pekingese) so if you have one of those breeds, it's definitely worth reading up on. Also, if you happened to come upon this blog because your dog is in this same situation and you're wondering what to do, feel free to contact me and I'll happily share any information that I have with you. (heylola (at) sbcglobal (dot) net)

P.S. Recovering nicely now:

Bad idea #103: Browsing food blogs when your cupboards are bare.

2009-09-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else craving spinach and tortellini salad? Mmmmmmmmm, delicious goodness...and of course, I have nothing but 2 stale saltines and a can of fruit cocktail in the house.

(via Grub's Up ...check out the super easy instructions that even a novice cook like me can handle!)

I'd hang around, but apparently I need to go grocery shopping...

It's Kevin Bacon Wednesday!!!

2009-09-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

You know you missed it...

Bacon scented soy candle (I'm not sure about this...would it smell delicious like a delicious greasy spoon....or would it smell like that greasy spoon that nobody ever goes to ~ the one where your Aunt Helen's best friend's husband ordered fries there one time and there was a dead rat in the basket? Either way, I know just who's getting one for Christmas this year):

(via Redneck Candles)

"Roses For Kevin Cycle Cap":

(via All One Word)

Bacon and Eggs crocheted jellyfish!

(I can't crochet and I can't knit but seeing Needle Noodles Shop makes me want to learn...really bad.)

Also....I have a real, honest to goodness website now! You can find it here. It's a bit more professional looking....I hope. I think. I'm crossing my fingers, anyway. (feel free to link to it to your heart's content.)

P.S. You look really nice today :)

Mosaics and Chandeliers

2009-09-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

After being all over the internet for a while, I basically disappeared. One reason is that I got married. It's a good excuse...seriously. The other reason is that my husband and I have purchased a run down little dive bar, which we are working our butts off to turn into a lovely neighborhood cafe/bistro/tavern type place. Of course, since I can't seem to keep anything simple, all of my decor ideas have been huge projects. Each project is working out exactly as I planned, but overall the place is still a disaster...so no pictures yet. BUT, there's mosaic and chandeliers and thrones and deer heads (not real deer heads!) and who knows what else I'll come up with before we're finished.

My mosaic isn't nearly as elaborate as this (holy crap, you guys!):

(This is Susan Gardner's house...That she gets to live in....every day of her life. I totally need a house like this.)

My chandeliers aren't nearly as gorgeous as this one (although I used the exact same kinds of teacups for my wedding so this is now on my list of to-dos):

(Part of a group of recycled chandeliers here)

and my deer head isn't quite as darling as this one:

(via Modern Dose)

...but I still think everything is coming along marvelously. PLUS, we've been trying to buy as much as possible from our local Habitat for Humanity store ~ so we're recycling AND we're contributing to a great cause! I can't wait to show you...

For the Love of Great Big Obnoxious Necklaces

2009-09-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

I have a really difficult time reigning it it and creating delicate and simple, everyday type jewelry. I do try...but chains and beads and random weirdness keep adding themselves to my mannequin as I work and bizarre conceptual ideas refuse to be kept down. I think there might be something wrong with me.

The good news is, I very rarely use anything new to create these big, obnoxious (FANTABULOUS!) pieces. I hit up garage sales, antique malls, flea markets, my friends give me their broken things...I love the idea of recycling and I'm even more fond of creating something recycled that doesn't really look recycled. Hopefully I'm succeeding :)

A little obsessed with sea anemones the day this was born:

I wanted to create a big, fairytale, woodsy necklace that would make people talk about the girl who was wearing it...in a good way, of course:

The circles on this one? Old curtain ties from the seventies - seriously. I came across a huge bag of them, in all of their macrame, 1970's goodness. I used vintage seam binding and thrifted ribbon to wrap them, and combined various beads and chain links to finish it off. Did I mention how much I love pink and green? Because I love the combination so much that I made two versions of this:

Pearls and punk rock:

I have these moments where I feel very Frida Kahlo-ish...Or maybe more Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo. Either way, sometimes I need to wear a big and vibrant necklace just like this:

These were all created by me and can be found at my online shop here (www.shopheylola.com)

Do you make new things from old things? Let me know - I'd love to feature you here!

We have a booby!!

2009-05-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

A portion of the proceeds from Hey Lola go to conservation efforts...the past two months we donated to the World Wildlife Federation and donated enough money that they let us adopt a blue footed booby! It's a symbolic adoption of course, but they did send a picture and a cute stuffed animal blue footed booby. You guys, even though he lives with me...this is OUR booby. (also, I swear I usually don't take the gifts but I just couldn't pass this one up...I LOVE the blue footed booby).

His name is Spaghetti Penguin and he is an AMAZING dancer. He's the best booby ever.

Also, I'm not going to lie...there's a fourth grader inside of me that's getting a real kick out of talking about my booby.

Seriously....super cool birds, check them out:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/blue-footed-booby.html

And thank you SO much for shopping with me and helping out the boobies (My inner fourth grader is laughing so hard right now I'm probably going to throw up).

Also...you probably noticed that I missed Kevin Bacon Wednesday again...yeah. Probably there's just going to have to be surprise Kevin Bacon Days, otherwise I'll just keep diappointing you. I swear, I'm like the deadbeat dad of the blogging world...let's get ice cream and I SWEAR we'll do Kevin Bacon Day next week, ok kids?

P.S. I'm getting ready to do a giveaway on my other blog...one of the prizes is super fantastic and a secret but do you have any suggestions for other stuff?

Kevin Bacon Wednesday!!! Er...Sunday!! Yay, it's Kevin Bacon Day!!

2009-05-03T12:41:00.001-07:00

So, I did a search for "Kevin Bacon" on Etsy and found this:

And I was all, "huh? What the eff does this have to do with Kevin Bacon?" But the description and the title pretty much explain it ~ It's the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Necklace." The shop owner says, " I shook hands with Jason Statham, Jason Statham was in Snatch with Brad Pitt, Brad Pitt was in Sleepers with Kevin Bacon." So I guess if you wear the necklace, you're within six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Works for me. (I'd get it but I'm totally already within six degrees of Kevin Bacon.)

Then I searched for "Kevin." Did you guys know that there's a Jonas Brother named Kevin? Yeah...that was like 90 pages of Jonas Brothers themed merchandise hell. Guess which Kevin is NOT going to be featured on Kevin Bacon Day? But guess which Kevin is ~ this one!

It's Kevin, the amoeba magnet! He can be found at Chaotic Happy's shop , which might just be the greatest name for a shop ever.

Then, if you're truly obsessed with bacon and just need to surround yourself with the essence of bacon all of the time, hang these all over your house:

Bacon air fresheners! To freshen your house with the really fresh smell of...bacon. Weird. You can find them at Archie McPhee.

And finally...and this might freak some of you out but I really, really love this painting (although it's too freaky for me to even have a print of it hanging in my house...I'd get up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water or something and see it out of the corner of my eye and be all, "AhhhhhhARGGGHAhhhhhhAieeeee!" and trip over my cat and break my leg or my nose or some such nonsense).

It's the "Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X" by Francis Bacon (the painter, not the philosopher). Totally scary movie creepy, but I just can't stop staring at it.

Man, I suck so bad.

2009-04-28T02:09:00.001-07:00

For real...I missed Kevin Bacon Wednesday, I haven't posted here in forever, I don't even talk about anything crafty like I said I would...lame, lame, Lamey McLamerson. Anyway, check out this super awesome nerdy print that I bought for my bathroom which James is not happy about (he's not into nerd art - he's stupid like that. Not that it matters...I'm totally filling the bathroom with all science related art -it's amazing):

It's from Tiffany Ard. I already have her nerdy baby ABC's poster...I love it.

Also, I bought some nerdy cat toys for my cat...he's a celebri-cat and therefore not a nerd, but as long as he lives under my roof he'll abide by my rules and my rules say everyone has nerdy accessories:

It's a trilobite. It's from Corinna at The Frog Bag. First, she's awesome because she makes cat toys that will encourage my cat to pursue a career in science, instead of all of the pot smoking and partying with Paris Hilton that he does and second, she's awesome because she sent me my very own real-paper-and-not-online copy of the LA Times article and she didn't even know who I was! I asked and she said yes. If we lived in the same city and we were 70 years old, I bet we'd be like the Golden Girls and I'd totally thank her for being a friend.*

I'm in on the nerd fun, too. I've got these guys for sale in my shop:

I have glasses like this, only without the rhinestones. I love my nerdy glasses.

It's an earwig!!!

I also found this really cool old science bingo game today...I'm going to frame one of the cards and hang it in my bathroom with the rest of my nerdy art. Guess who hates that idea?

Guess who's doing it anyway :)

Hopefully I'll have pictures soon but no promises...this wedding planning stuff is kicking my butt.

*R.I.P. Bea Arthur...Dorothy was always my favorite.

I'm in the LA Times today!

2009-04-19T02:08:00.000-07:00

I know I'm supposed to be all blase about this sort of thing and act really cool and I actually lived in LA for about a year which should make me even more relaxed and cool about this whole thing...but I'm not. I'm so unbelieveably flattered and honored and thrilled that I just danced around my house for a really, really long time. Anyway, the internet is going to devour this article in about a week so I'm saving the whole thing here so I can revisit it whenever I feel the need to dance. Unfortunately, I don't want to get sued by the LA Times just when we've started to become friends so I can't show it to you (I originally did have it here but eventually they're going to find it and want me to take it down so I'm just going to take it down now.)

Full article can be found here

Even if I don't sell one thing from this...I don't care. This is a HUGE honor. Huge. Gigantic. I'm freaking out. I have to go freak out now.

F.A.Q.

2009-04-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

I know, you're mad...you came here expecting pictures of pretty things and instead I'm just going to answer a bunch of random questions about stuff I make. But you know, sometimes other people come here to get answers to questions about stuff I make and all they find is lots of Kevin Bacon stuff...there has to be some middle ground, ok? Anyway, some F.A.Q. and the super genius and mind blowing answers:

What's your online store address?

www.shopheylola.com ... it's on Etsy (I love Etsy!)

Where do you find all of your supplies? Like...you know...the beads and chains and disco dancing dragon buttons?

I'm a thrift store junkie. And an antique mall addict. And a garage sale stalker. If you've got old jewelry for sale and you live anywhere near me, I'll be there in 5 minutes.

Ok, but hold on...You claim to be all eco-friendly and environmentally concerned but you're probably driving around all of the time looking for stuff, choking everybody with your car fumes, right?

Ok, I lied. If you have old jewelry, I won't be there in 5 minutes. I try to do all of my scouting and shipping on one day of the week in an attempt to cut down all of the driving...so I'll be there on Wednesday.

I get that the pendants and chains are all kind of wired together, but some of those things that you put together look like they're glued. How is that environmentally friendly?

I knew you were going to ask me that! Ok...jeweler's glue is bad, everybody knows that. Unfortunately, eco-friendly glue isn't strong enough to hold things together...at least not any that I've tried. I keep looking, though. In the meantime, my extreme guilt for using jeweler's glue and for buying new earwires and clasps has led me to give a portion of my jewelry earnings to the World Wildlife Federation...er...Foundation...um...the WWF that's not involved with wrestling.

How much?

That's rude.

Not really...I mean, if you're giving a portion, don't you want your customers to know how much?

Right. Well, it's not a set amount. It's based on what I can afford. If I say 10% and then my refrigerator quits and I need a new refrigerator, I'm going to have to buy the refrigerator. But, you know...I'm shooting for 10%. I started donating in March and was able to do the 10%, so that's a great thing.

Ok, so I read that you used recycled packaging like cereal boxes and stuff...that's weird, right?

Not really. A cereal box is still a box and they actually travel pretty well.

But the box that I got from you was pink and had stamps and hearts and dancing monkeys all over it and I've never heard of dancing monkeys cereal.

Because I paint the boxes just for you! Awesome, right? Non-toxic paint and all of that, too.

Ok, but there was some shredded paper and a plastic bag and a jewelry box and some weird tissue paper and ribbons and thank you cards...how come you use all of that stuff? Shouldn't you just send it without all of that stuff and nonsense? Seems pretty wasteful.

I order the jewelry boxes from a company that swears up and down that they're recycled. The weird tissue paper is old sewing patterns, the ribbons are thrifted,the shredded paper is junk mail and old magazines, the plastic is used to protect the package and it's leftover from a local company and the thank you card is because I am SO glad that you shopped with me. I'm serious.

Come on...

No, for real. I'm always amazed when somebody buys something from me...like, I know I love it but you love it, too? That's probably the greatest compliment ever.

How come your stuff is all random and you don't have a series or a collection or a line? I saw a necklace that I loved once and then when I came back a day later there was nothing there that even looked like it.

I can't do it. I kind of look at each piece like I would a painting and it has it's own inspiration and it's own music and there's just not going to be anything like it because there shouldn't be...it's unique and individual, just like you.

You're totally making me blush.

Yay!

Ok, so one of your necklaces has a sparrow pendant and I KNOW I've seen one just like it at a local craft store. What gives?

I bought a bunch of supplies last year when I first came back to jewelry...then I realized I didn't want to use new supplies. I'm pretty sure that 95% of whatever I need is already out there...unfortunately, I had already bought all of that new stuff so I'm trying to make sure I use it all.

What's up with the gift tags in your store? How does paper tie into jewelry?

I use the cardboard box dividers from beverage deliveries to create my own jewelry tags...I love them. They turned out so great and I think the material is even better than recycled because it hasn't been re-processed at all. We get so much of this stuff that I figured I might as well put it to use.

Do you really believe in all of this environmental stuff or is it just a ploy to get more sales?

No...I'm really into it and I always want to be better at it. I'm always open to tips and suggestions because I know there are areas that I could improve.

So, were any of these real questions or were you just talking to yourself?

Totally talking to myself.

Cool.

Kevin Bacon Wednesday!

2009-04-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...this is rapidly becoming "The Kevin Bacon Show" instead of "The Lola Show." It's just...I get distracted, you know? Anyway, for today's Kevin Bacon Wednesday I present this picture of Kevin Bacon:

And these pictures of my wedding bouquets...which I totally made by myself...which cost me a grand total of...um...I can't really remember but it was definitely less than $10...which Kevin Bacon would see if he decided to come to my wedding...which he is totally invited to...which is why my wedding bouquets are featured on Kevin Bacon Wednesday:

(I used sheets of music for the paper flowers ~ 50 cents for an entire book at a church thrift store...the dried flowers were 79 cents for a gigantic bag at the Salvation Army...the vintage millinery flowers and pink feathers were also 79 cents for a gigantic bag, also found at the Salvation Army...the pink fabric was left over from some jewelry displays I made...the lace was thrifted and I'm pretty sure it was 10 cents...the pink and green acrylic beads I've had forever...the wire that I used for the mini acrylic bead sprays that are mixed in with the flowers was actually some unused picture wire that I had left over from an art show...there are some mini tissue paper flowers mixed in there, too...I think I paid about $3 for a handful of those at the Goodwill...so, you know...less than ten bucks for one bridal bouquet and 8 bridesmaids bouquets)

And finally, this lovely interview by Nicole Burron for her brand new fashion blog. This also belongs in a Kevin Bacon Wednesday post because I'm willing to bet Nicole has seen a Kevin Bacon movie.

Everything always leads back to Kevin Bacon...always.

Kevin Bacon Wednesday

2009-04-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

So...um...I found this today:

Yeah. Um....anyway, there's also this:

Which I now want to write on every hand dryer I ever see except I'm not really into vandalism...but if I were, that would totally be all over the place.

Wendi Winn got this cool bacon key fob that she stuffed with bacon bits so that her dog could always find her keys for her...now I'm waiting for her to post about how her dog found her keys and ate them all. Keys are delicious when they're flavored like bacon...mmmmm.

That video was super weird, right? I was going to look up some Kevin stuff but I just keep re-watching that video over and over and over again and I can't really focus on anything else except those weird dudes singing about bacon.

Salt and Pepper Shaker Obsession

2009-03-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

I'm having a slight obsession with salt and pepper shakers this week. Probably because I need a salt shaker reallyreallyreally bad. And for some reason...as NOT picky as I am about most things...this is the thing I've decided to be picky about. I haven't picked any yet but these are pretty much awesome (Which I can show you now that the internet no longer hates me):

(Saltron and Pepperbot, via Infinite Divide Studio)

(via Bits of Sunshine)

(available here)

And finally...I'm kind of freaking out about these a little bit...I might end up collecting salt and pepper shakers thanks to designer Stefano Giovannoni

(these and other amazing things available at All Modern)

Kevin Bacon Wednesday!

2009-03-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!! Featuring, your host, this awesome picture of Kevin Bacon:

Guest starring, in no particular order:

Comic Book with bacon characters (via Mr. Toast Store)

"Bacon is like a little hug from God" Print (via Nicodemus Green)

Super cute koala bear named Kevin...although, to be fair, all koala bears are super cute.

This is Kevin Hillstrom. If you Google "Kevin," this guys picture comes up and the caption underneath says "Who is Kevin Hillstrom?" His name is Kevin so he's automatically in, but sadly, I have no idea who Kevin Hillstrom is. Also, if you ask yourself "Who is Kevin Hillstrom?" make sure you do it in a really overdramatic voice, like it's a burning question because for real, it sounds better that way.

And finally

Bacon Mints, also known as "The Grossness." But you know, if you need some grossness you can buy it here

Cake Toppers and Rings

2009-03-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

So, I've had this thought for a super long time that falling in love with someone and having them love you right back probably feels a lot like the velveteen rabbit felt when he got to be a real rabbit. Seriously. It's in my head all of the time. Whenever my heart used to get broken (which was daily...for real...'cause guys are huge jerks...except for James), I would cry my head off because first, broken hearts hurt and second,I was never going to be a "real rabbit." And then I met James and I loved him and he loved me back and now we're finally getting married (5 year engagement. Seriously. Long time) and I totally, finally get to be a real rabbit. And then I saw this amazing cake topper and I'm all swoon-y over it because look:

It's like it was made for me!

And of course I didn't buy it when I should have and now it's all gone but I'm hoping another one will show up soon. If it does ever show up again, it would show up at Me.la.bo , who makes the most amazing, bizarro, wonderful ceramic creations ever. And I'm really not a ceramics person, usually.

Also, thinking about these for wedding rings:

(at The Silver Garden)

I love them and James agrees...however, I also love these:

They're little dandelion thingies...and they would match a little bit better with my engagement ring.

(at BcyrJewelry)

Love...love all of this stuff. Aside from the little stressful bits here and there, planning this wedding totally rocks.

Way to eff up your brand new blog, me.

2009-03-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah...so I totally missed the second Kevin Bacon Wednesday. Not my fault really, there was all sorts of work stuff and art stuff and fake marijuana business going on. I'm sure you understand. Anyway, I made a super awesome vampirate outfit this week and I totally shredded my wedding dress and I was going to show you pictures because this is the appropriate forum for sharing artsy-crafty type things but the pictures are buried in the midst of about 5 gazillion other pictures right now...so I'm going to show you other things until the pictures become unburied. Things like cakes that I want for my wedding:

No idea who created this...would LOVE to give them credit. Also....don't think for one minute that I've abandoned the Pac-Man board cupcake idea. I haven't. I'm just exploring some other options. Like the Alice in Wonderland option:

Wedding cake in tea cups! I was talking to one of my friends today about having cheesecake instead of wedding cake and we were trying to figure out a unique presentation and look! Here it is! I've never made cheesecake but I'm guessing you could make it in a teacup...right? Or I could make cupcakes and just shove them in a teacup:

I've never made cupcakes, either. The whole wedding cake thing is going to be an adventure because I'm bound and determined to do as much as possible by myself...and "by myself" I mean, with the help of everyone I love and that hopefully loves me back when I turn into bridezilla beacuse you know that's totally going to happen at some point.

Happiness.

2009-03-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm making happiness jewelry. It's all plastic and bright and ridiculous and I'm not sure if anyone is going to be into it but I'm totally into it. I don't have pictures...I think my camera is hiding in the refrigerator or something. However, I did a search for happiness on Etsy and this is really freaking cool:

If I don't buy it first, you can buy it here, at Dazey Chic's Shop

Kevin Bacon Wednesday

2009-03-11T16:49:00.001-07:00

Apparently successful crafty type blogs are supposed to have themes and how-to's and regular postings and blue plate specials and...um....I'm not really sure what else. I don't actually have a successful crafty type blog...yet. When I do, it will live here. And every Wednesday I will highlight things having to do with Kevin Bacon, guys named Kevin, bacon, and/or things that are 6 degrees or less from Kevin Bacon...because it's Kevin Bacon Wednesday.

Kevin Bacon

T-Rex dreaming of bacon card from MeganLeeDesigns

Kevin Federline (first Kevin that comes up when you google "Kevin.")

Super awesome breakfast soap (featuring bacon) from Dirty Ass Soaps

This concludes today's chapter of Kevin Bacon Wednesday. Also, if you came here from my other blog and you're wondering why on earth I would need a second blog...it's because a.)crafty stuff doesn't really fit on the other blog and b.) I don't think Oprah Winfrey is ever going to let me on her show so I'm starting my own...sort of.

About

2009-03-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

Hey Lola jewelry and accessories are designed and created by Jessica Benassi, in the middle of what she affectionately terms her "chaos room."

Jessica's one of a kind creations owe their success to a vivid imagination and a strong sense of customer service. Each piece begins with a found object - something vintage, salvaged or abandoned - and takes shape from there. Imagining herself on the receiving end of each creation, Jessica creates, packages and ships each piece in the same manner that she would want to receive it. She also firmly believes that singing and dancing as she works makes the end product approximately a gazillion times better than it would have turned out otherwise.

When asked about her work, Jessica often describes it as " A big, beautiful mess" and her many loyal customers could not agree more.

What people are saying:

“By wearing one of the original jewelry creations from Hey Lola, you're guaranteed to be the only person with that unique look…beautiful recycled jewelry.” – AOL StyleList

“Her handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces look sleek and fresh.” – LA Times

“funky and fun…love, LOVE, L-O-V-E…” – Dress and the City

“…glorious treasure chest of pretty baubles…This is the stuff of a fantasy jewelry box…pretty, pretty things.” – WeCovet.com

“To incorporate recyclable items and vintage pieces in a whole jewelry line is genius! Jewelry brand (Love) Hey Lola nails it with its innovative necklaces and hair pieces.” – CoutureSoles.com

A portion of all Hey Lola sales are donated to conservation efforts.

In addition to creating the Hey Lola line, Jessica is an accomplished artist and also blogs a bit at www.loveheylola.com. She is married to James and together they own a small tavern, where you can often find them behind the bar or in the kitchen inventing new recipes. Jessica has a degree in biology and works part time for a not-for-profit tissue bank. In her spare time she hangs out with her husband and their menagerie of dogs, and they have dance contests. She always wins, no matter what anyone else will tell you.

She sleeps on Wednesdays.