Oooh! Banana!!

The story of Minions begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters.

 Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters-from T. rex to Napoleon-the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression. 

But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he-alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob-ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. 

The trio embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill, the world's first-ever female super-villain. 

They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in mod London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind...from annihilation....!

Accessorize with Autumn

Autumn has always been a season of insane inspiration - between the brilliant and dazzling colors of Mother Nature's coloring box, and the need to find creatively fashionable ways to stay warm and snug, Autumn drives my inner arts and crafts bug insane with new ideas almost daily. 

My most recent foray into the handmade, one-of-a-kind world is a simple homage to Mother Nature and her ability to turn even the most mundane into something brilliant. 

These earring are made from leaves collected as they fell (an absolute blast - and a wonderful adventure, mind you).  To preserve the colors, each leaf was pressed before being coated and hung on an earring hook with beads to emphasize its beautiful and delicate nature. 

These earrings make excellent gifts....but be sure to keep a set for yourself!

=)

Autumn Leaf Dream Catcher

Dream catchers are one of the most fascinating traditions of Native Americans. The traditional dream catcher was intended to protect the sleeping individual from negative dreams, while letting positive dreams through. The positive dreams would slip through the hole in the center of the dream catcher, and glide down the feathers to the sleeping person below. The negative dreams would get caught up in the web, and expire when the first rays of the sun struck them. 

The dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for generations. One element of Native American dream catcher relates to the tradition of the hoop. Some Native Americans of North America held the hoop in the highest esteem, because it symbolized strength and unity. Many symbols started around the hoop, and one of these symbols is the dream catcher. 

Using a hoop of willow, and decorating it with findings, bits and pieces of everyday life, (feathers, arrow heads, beads, leaves etc) the dream catcher is believed to have the power to catch all of a person's dreams, trapping the bad ones, and letting only the good dreams pass through the dream catcher.

NEW! Pooch Pal Coin Purse

Dogs are known for their loyalty towards their owners! They will return your trust, love and care and become your dearest best friend.

"A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. "
-- George Graham Vest

The Pooch Pal Coin Purse's cute face is the perfect place to store your essentials: money, keys and lip balm.

 

Catching Fire Fashion: The Katniss’ Cowl

Call it a scarf. Call it a vest. Call it a shawl. Call it a cowl. Or, heck, call it a cape. It won’t matter how you refer to Katniss’ (Jennifer Lawrence) knit accessory in Catching Fire, fans of The Hunger Games will totally get you and your obsession with it.
Trish Summerville, who designed the movie’s costumes, told the New York Times the following about Katniss’ look: “I wanted to bundle her up a bit and give her something that had a feel of the Capitol, but still with keeping in those nubby, big natural fibers—something, say, her mom could have made her.”

Summerville turned to Los Angeles-based knitwear designer Maria Dora to create the piece, which Dora prefers to call a “shield.” Sadly, Dora has no immediate plans to offer any similar styles for sale—this, of course, hasn't stopped the internet from exploding with thousands of fans picking up their knitting needles and crochet hooks and improvising their own patterns. 

In terms of projects, it was a long one....and yarn-hungry too!  But the finished project was well worth the occasional frustrations, and while it is nowhere near an exact replica, it turned out rather nifty...and fashionable too!

 

It Ain't Just For Grannies Anymore - The Crochet Revivial

In many people's minds, when they think of crochet, they picture their grandmother making afghans or someone making those crocheted barbie doll dresses ... but nothing could be further from the truth.
A person can outfit their home with "pretties or practicals" or both! using just a hook and yarn. For busy, time-strapped men and women, crocheting has turned out to be the perfect craft--and one can make incredible-looking designs using easy, simple stitches. As can be seen in the round rug pictured here, I've combined both pretty and practical to produce an eye-catching rug worked in single crochet. (See bottom of this Hub for my notes on how I created this rug)
This Hub will explore the many wonderful and useful items that can be made from crochet using easy-to- execute stitches. By the time you've finished reading, you just might see why crocheting is considered by many to be the craft of choice. (Why, dear old grandma, just may have known a thing or two!)

Why Crocheting is Making a Come-Back

In challenging economic times, crocheting has become the craft of choice. Crafters have discovered the sheer practicality of crochet. Perhaps no other craft offers so much potential in relation to the variety of both pretty and practical items that can be produced, without having to invest in all sorts of tools or machines and without a huge initial outlay for supplies before you even get started.
Crocheting doesn't require a costly investment in materials and allows for creation of attractive and unique-looking pieces that withstand the test of time. A person can outfit a home and supplement a wardrobe using easy-to-master crocheting techniques.
A consideration of what can be made from crocheting sheds insights as to why crocheting is enjoying a resurgence in popularity and is considered the craft of choice.