Coming Up Roses

Happy New Year!

Well, it really has been a while, hasn't it? Time marches on, three year olds give up taking naps, life gets a little hectic and nuts, and blogs fall by the wayside. My apologies to all the wonderful Etsy sellers that I could have been featuring in the meanwhile since our last posting in November.

The new year has brought many new exciting opportunities, including a number of performing gigs, which have rejuvenated me beyond anything I can meaningfully express. I have the great fortune of being able to share the stage with my dear friend Ric Iverson, after a 10 year span of not performing together, in Symphony Silicon Valley's upcoming musical-in-concert, The Most Happy Fella taking place in mid March.

But possibly the most exciting opportunity yet has come in the offer to play Rose in Gypsy, which will go into production in May of this year. I am so blessed to be able to follow in the (very large) footsteps of my beloved Broadway diva idols in taking on this powerhouse role, and I look forward to every minute. For more information about this production of Gypsy, please visit www.hillbarntheatre.org

So to celebrate a re-emergence from the winter of my hiatus from the stage, I have found these exquisite items from our friends at Etsy, using the search terms "roses red rose". Enjoy!

Bordeaux Carved Lucite Rose and Freshwater Pearl Necklace

by Vintage Gracie

Smell the Roses Cashmere Extra Long Flounce Scarf

by devilmademedoit

Red Chiffon Flower Handbag
by mojospastyle

Adeline-Black French Style Pure Wool Beret with Hand Felted Rose Brooch
by Crafts2Cherish

Womens XS Silk Blend Sweater (Upcycled Bolero) - Spanish Rose
by enchantedcreations2u

Red Gingham Rose Bouquet (six)

by gwyllion

How lovely to be a Woman

The Definition of Feminine -- Simple and Sassy Blank Notecards -- Boxed Set of 8

by macaroniandglue

How lovely to be a woman, the wait was well worth while;

How lovely to wear mascara and smile a woman's smile.

How lovely to have a figure, that's round instead of flat;

Whenever you hear boys whistle, you're what they're whistling at.

It's wonderful to feel

the way a woman feels;

It gives you such a glow just to know

You're wearing lipstick and heels!

How lovely to be a woman and have one job to do;

To pick out a boy and train him and then when you are through,

You've made him the man you want him to be!

Life's lovely when you're a woman like me!

How wonderful to know

The things a woman knows;

How marvelous to wait for a date

In simply beautiful clothes!

How lovely to be a woman and change from boys to men,

To go to a fancy nightclub and stay out after ten.

How lovely to be so grown-up and free!

Life's lovely when you're a woman like me!

(Except for when Aunt Flo comes to town, obviously.)

Women are powerful. Women are magnificent. Women are glorious mystical magical people. When you actually stop to think about all the things that women do in their day to day lives without blinking a perfectly coiffed eyelash at, it is truly amazing. The not-as-fair sex has nothing on us!

Celebrate your femininity - all of the items on today's blog are from members of the Etsymom Team. Want to see more? Use the search term "etsymom" on Etsy and behold the magnitude of works that these moms are doin' for themselves!

Garden Fairy Collar / Caplet
by PinkPolishDesign


12k GF Wrapped 3D Cameo Brooch with Two Ladies and a Dove
by rtanza


Ethereal - Original Watercolour Painting
by creativesque

Embrace Self - 3x4 Polaroid Image Transfer ORIGINAL in 8x10 Archival Mat OR 8x10 Enlarged PRINT

by TiffanyTeske

Beauty of Spring

by KLSreflections

Crazy Sexy Cute

Crochet Pattern- Bess in the cow costume amigurumi doll

by Owlishly

One of my favorite new craft projects is to make amigurumi dolls and toys. According to Wikipedia, "amigurumi" can be described as:

"The Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically cute animals (such as bears, rabbits, cats, dogs, etc.), but can include artistic renderings, and inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features. Amigurumi can be either knitted or crocheted. In recent years crocheted amigurumi are more popular and more commonly seen.

"Amigurumi are usually crocheted or knitted out of yarn. The simplest designs are worked in spirals. In contrast to typical Western crochet the rounds are not usually joined. They are also worked with a smaller size hook in proportion to the weight of the yarn in order to create a very tight-looking fabric without any gaps through which the stuffing might escape. Amigurumi are usually worked in sections and then joined, except for some amigurumi which have no limbs, only a head and torso which are worked as one piece. The extremities are sometimes stuffed with plastic pellets to give them a life-like weight, while the rest of the body is stuffed with fiber stuffing.

"The pervading aesthetic of amigurumi is cuteness. To this end, typical amigurumi animals have an over-sized spherical head on a cylindrical body with undersized extremities."

Cuteness - I'm all over that. So far, I have created two monkey dolls, an easter bunny, an easter chick, a ball-shaped penguin and three peeps. The best part about this craft is that if you can crochet a simple SC, you can make most amigurumis! They are great stash-busters, too.

Here are some particularly adorable patterns from our friends at Etsy. The possibilities are ENDLESS!!

ANIMALS

Amigurumi Cute Alien Rabbit- Crochet Pattern

by crochetpattern

Bee Gurumi Crochet Pattern
by LuvlyGurumi

DOLLS

PDF Pattern - Pippi

by AmigurumiParadise

Ni Hao, Kai-Lan Amigurumi Pattern KaiLan
by CraftyisCool

TOYS

Ace, The Airplane - Amigurumi Pattern
by DeliciousCrochet

HALLOWEEN

3 PDF Crochet Patterns - Jazzy Witch, Devil and Halloween Gang - Amigurumi
by kandjdolls

THANKSGIVING

Crochet Pattern- Chester the turkey boy amigurumi doll
by Owlishly

CHRISTMAS

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer - An Amigurumi Pattern
by KawaiiGurumi

This is SHARKS TERRITORY

I'm so excited, because I have the honor of singing the national anthem tonight at the home opener for the San Jose Sharks! Doubly excited because they usually only call me in for games against Canadian teams (I know their anthem), and TRIPLY excited because it's my husband Mark's birthday, and he and his friends will all be there at the game!

Here are some vicious bits from our friends at Etsy using the search terms "hockey mask". Enjoy!

Halloween Hockey-mask, by nakittaa

Jason Friday the 13th Leather Keychain, by leatherprince

Hockey One Necklace, by andreacorson

Tshirt - Tokyo (men), by AkumuInk

And I think I have to get this sock yarn - dragoneyarnes makes colorways for 14 different NHL teams! (This one's the prettiest, if I do say so myself...)

San Jose Sharks Sock Yarn, by draygoneyarnes

FALL in Love!

Autumn Leaves print, by sarahsetsy

Today is officially the first day of autumn, and I couldn't be happier! Fall is my favorite time of year - the weather finally starts cooling down and turning crisp, the trees turn heartbreakingly beautiful colors, and Starbucks starts making their Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread lattes.

Celebrate the autumnal equinox in style - decorate your home with fall colors and spiced candles, get out your favorite throw blankets and cozy sweaters, and relax over a yummy latte or cup of chai tea to some lovely classical piano music. Ahhhhhh, heaven.

Here are some beautiful items to get you in the mood from some of our friends at Etsy - all on sale TODAY!!

Pumpkin Soaps by thesoapseduction

Orange Pumpkin Scarf/Boa by kiamichi7

Autumn spice necklace by sparklecouture

Autumnal Fire Stacking Set by CreationsbyCat

And this seller, who has the most ethereal and lovely costumes I've seen in quite some time - BEAUTIFUL!!

November Fairy Costume by TheBohemianGoddess

Knit Wit

A few years back, my sister in law, Shannen, taught me how to knit. At first, I was miserable at it, and it was pretty frustrating to keep my stitches loose and even, even in stockinette. But with a little practice, I was soon following simple patterns, and even took on (sometimes not successfully) more challenging projects. Yarn became an obsession, and trips to my local knitting shops became for me what bookstore jaunts have always been. I could spend all day petting the various yarns in wool, cashmere, silk, soy, flax, linen, cotton, alpaca, mohair... the list is endless.

I'm still a novice compared to these sellers, but my skills are improving! Someday I might just make something for myself that actually fits (besides socks).

Victoria Coat by designbynihan

Snow Drifts Spiral Scarf by AngelAndFairyDesigns

The Wicked Autumn Hat by Sloanester

RIONA hand knitted cardigan coat by ovejanegra

and this little "bean cozy", that I just ADORE:

LiL Acorn Baby Beanie by ForStitchesSake

There are two really great yarn shops in my area that I enjoy visiting: Bobbin's Nest Studio in Santa Clara, and Yarndogs in Los Gatos. Make sure you have enough time to really enjoy your visit, and if you happen to find any cashmere on clearance, let me know...