US trip 2014: Chicago, the Windy City!!

Hello again guys!

Here's the second part of my trip to the US! I had started noticing that my suitcase was a bit small for ALL THE BOOKS and that I had to be very careful with my book shopping from now on! I already had 4 books and the suitcase was looking rather difficult to close!

I arrived in Chicago on Friday at nearly 4 pm but the traffic was quite mad and I was the last one in the shuttle to be left at the hotel. That also meant I had an interesting conversation with the driver, who told me that I shouldn't be surprised that people were nice to me when I go to places because I am a nice person. Context: I was telling him about how nice people were in Dublin when I went there 2 years back, and he said that it might not be that people are nice where I go, but that I'm a nice person and people react to that. All the conversation started when he was telling me about the river being dyed green for the St Patrick's Parade!

Checked-in and decided to have some dinner at the hotel restaurant and there and then I was reminded of how big the portions are in the US! Then I decided to enjoy my quite awesome room at the Holiday Inn and finish reading the latest Chicagoland Vampires book, Blood Games, to get in the right mindset to visit the Windy City!


Day 2: Meeting with Brooke & Sheika!

I had been communicating with my friends in Chicago via either Twitter DM or Facebook message, so happy that I got the room with wi-fi included! Brooke has been a friend of mine for over 6 years, I think probably 7! All since I started to fall in love with the handmade movement and became a huge supporter, and she's one amazingly talented lady that makes awesome bags! She's the one that made the bag that I always use as my cabin luggage!

Brooke picked me up at me hotel and she took me first to the Bean, cause that's the place to go when you go to Chicago according to one of the Haematology residents, so I decided to give it a try!

Then we did a bit sightseeing dowtown and then Brooke took me to a cool area up north where we had luch at an Irish pub, did some walking around and visited some really cool shops!

While we were having lunch, Sheika, another of our friends from the handmade forums that now lives in Chicago, said that she could meet us for dinner, so we returned downtown, got lost driving around trying to find a Lush shop and finally parked to meet up with Sheika for dinner and chatting!

It was seriously fantastic to finally meet these awesome ladies I had been friends for so long and be able to chat with them, talk books with Brooke because she's also a huge reader & book lover and talk art and photography with Sheika, that is an amazing artist and cartoonist!


Day 3: Meeting Sarah & Sharon!

My third day in Chicago started as usual with me checking Google maps in my room to make sure I knew where I was going, even if both NY and Chiago aren't all that difficult to navigate given their grid set up downtown!

I was meeting Sarah, a fellow book lover and Sharon, the author of A Mad Wicked Folly (a book that I highly recommend to everyone, but specially if you like historical books and or with a feminist feel to them!) to walk around Chicago, have some coffee, lunch and buy books!

We decided to go for lunch at the Artists' Cafe and before entering Sharon discovered that The Fine Arts Building was open to the public and we could see the theater that was undergoing renovations and also ride the hand-cranked elevator and visit all the floors on our way down, even the Venetian patio, and so we all went inside for a visit! Sharon has a lot of love for the building and had so many stories to tell, it was heaps of fun! And if she ends up putting the building in a later book, Sarah and myself will know how she was inspired! ;)

Lunch happened right after the visit and I decided to go for something very Chicagoan, a Chicago dog! That was rather yummy and that was big enough that I couldn't finish! But neither did Sharon with hers, so I don't feel as bad! ;)

After lunch, Sharon had to run back home but she signed our books before leaving! (mine had travelled all the way back from Spain!) and then Sarah and I took off in search of bookstores to complete my to-buy list! BUT not before she gave me the ARC of Liars INC that Paula Stokes had sent her to give me!! *ALL THE FLAILS*

So after all my flailing and squealing, we headed to the closest B&N to buy some books and I find all 3 I wanted right away, but Sarah didn't buy anything there so we decided to head to another B&N up north that would also be close to Sprinkles, the cupcakes bakery with a CUPCAKE ATM!!

I really need one of those nearby to where I live, no matter the time, you can always have access to a tasty cupcake! Seriously, Chicago WINS!!

And then back to the hotel! We totally forgot to get some pics taken with Sharon but Sarah and me took a pic of both of us with our Pivot Book Totes, but Sarah doesn't want her face all over the internet, and after the KH debacle, I truly do not blame her at all!!

And here are the three last books that I bought, because it was quite a game of tetris to pack the suitcase with the 7 extra books! B&N editions of Eleanor & Park and Ruin & Ruising and the new hardback of Throne of Glass with the pretty paperback cover!!

And the next day, early up to get on the bus that will take me to Wisconsin, my last stop on this US trip! But that will once again be a story for another day!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: Vitamina Eu!!

Being the handmade lover that I am, as well as the bookworm, I'm gonna continue mixing both books and handmade items entries in the blog, so Wearing Handmade Wednesday entries will continue to pop up now and then, and this one it's even book related!

You guys might remember an Etsy shop called Vitamina Eu where I got an awesome mug from my twin friend Deb. I fell in love with the "bookworm mug" as I called it, so when she had a 10% discount code for Xmas in July, I decided to indulge myself and get it!

When it arrived home it didn't come alone, Eu ,the super sweet lady behind the shop, had also painted the same design in a bookmark! Aren't they the cutest thing ever?



Also, in case you're wondering, the book used as a prop to show off the mug & bookworm is my ARC copy of Alienated by Melissa Landers!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: Vitamina Eu!

Hello everyone!

This week I've missed my Monday book reviews, even if I have 2 books I really want to recommend to you guys, but with coming back from the trip, going back to work and the freaking heat wave over here... I really haven't managed to write a decent review for them!

But today I'm bringing a Wearing Handmade Wednesday entry! It had been waay too long since the last one, so it was about time!

Super cute hand painted mug I got my taste twin Deb for her birthday from Vitamina Eu!

That super cute mug is from an Etsy shop called Vitamina Eu, based in Italy and run by Eu, a super talented & nice young lady that was immensely helpful on sending the mug directly to Deb, so she could get it in time for her birthday! 

And in case you are wondering why I chose that particular design, well you can see the kitty next to the cup wanting to try what's in there? Doesn't he look remarkably like the one painted? I thought so! ;)

Wearing Hanmade Wednesday: Toriska Bags!!





Well, now that was a longer break than I was even expecting! I haven't blogged since last year, and we're on February already!

 

 

I had to switch from Chrome to IE cause my Chrome has been superbly annoying and kept on freezing on me, and then I had another trip to Delhi, so it was clearly a lot of circumstance involved on how lazy I've been about the blog, but the motivation has been low too.

 

 

Now I'm back from my trip, and today has been recovery day and unpacking day, thankfully I decided to have a day off inbetween my landing and my first day back at work. Which was a great idea, cause I landed so tired! Going back to work today and hoping it won't be horribly busy!

 

 

I decided to go back to blogging today itself, and try this time to stay motivated and blog more often, and not disappear for months on end again! So here is this week's Wearing Handmade Wednesday!

 

 

I was looking for some nice clutches with an ethnic look that would match my Desi (hindi for Indian) clothes, both sarees and salwar kameez (also know as suits or kurta pajamas, aka tunic top and legging-like pants) and I stumbled into this amazing shop called Toriska Bags in Etsy!

 

 

I found the perfect red ethnic clutch I was looking for, and Tori, the owner of Toriska was very nice during the whole transaction, and once I took a good look at her shop, I knew I'd get more clutches from her, which was promptly reinforced as I got my clutch in the mail, really amazing! And so, my collection has grown, and I'm now the proud owner of three Toriska bags!



 

 

 

 

Here you can see me wearing a suit for the wedding of a neighbor of the society where G lives and you can see how amazing my Toriska bag looks with it!

And here you can see me wearing a saree for the wedding of one of G's cousins and with my gold & black matching & contrasting Toriska bag!

 



Friday Feature: Camamiel!

Well, my blogging hasn't really gone back into full force, but at least, I'm trying to update weekly, and hopefully I'll eventually get back into my 3 posts a week routine!

Today, the first of my days off at work for the holidays, I wanted to make a special Friday Feature! 

I might have mentioned Deb from On Cupcake Moon before, and how we have become taste twins, and how thanks to our common taste for awesome handmade goodies and shops we have connected and became great friends, and I actually can't wait to meet her in person (hopefully next year, twin!).

So, this year I wanted to make her a special Xmas gift, since I know we both love unique things, and after seeing her buying one of Camamiel's Xmas Angels, I thought that a fantastic gift would be a Camamiel mini-Deb! 

 Deb and her Camamiel's mini-Deb!

And we did it! We based the doll on a cartoon of herself that Deb draw, with her kitty, and Ana Camamiel did an absolutely astounding job making sure the doll was a faithful reproduction even to the Rocky The Zombie tee she's wearing!


And Deb absolutely loved it!! So, yeah, further proof that buying handmade is absolutely the best way to go for gift giving!!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: Julian Bean!!

Hello everyone! Not keeping my promise as well as I should, but I'm finally back with a blog entry!

For today's Wearing Handmade Wednesday one of my besties since college and fellow nurse, Pilu, and featuring one of my very favourite artisans & crafters, Erin from Julian Bean!

I fell in love with this set a while back, and since Pilu's favourite colours is black, and this black and white set was just perfect! And Pilu absolutely loved it!

Buying handmade is always a guarantee of an unique gift, and one that will be loved by the recipient, and also, quite a wonderful experience, buying from an independent artisan that puts loads of love into their work! 

Support handmade and independent artisan and crafters!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: ReLovePlanet!!

Hello everyone!

This week I'm having a few more days of than I've previously had, so that reflects back a bit on my motivation, and also on my blogging, luckily!

For this week's Wearing Handmade Wednesday I'm using a shot of me and the bf singing "Angels" by Robbie Williams at a bar's karaoke night!

My ReLovePlanet slouch top

I've talked about the amazing Biance and her ReLovePlan.et shop and blog before, but I just wanted to show off one of my fave tops from her, that has the perfect comfy, slouchy fit, but that also looks very nice dressed up to go out!

That's all for today folks, hopefully there are more entries coming this week!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: RockerByeBaby!!

Well, yes... Hello everyone! The blog is still alive, sort of!

My motivation for blogging has been rather off as of late, and with a two weeks improptu trip to India and then many days on a row working to return the days my co-workers covered for me... I just didn't have the energy!

I will try to be more constant on the blogging, but really, I can't promise anything, except that I'll try! (Sorry Yoda).

So, here is Wearing Handmade Wednesday!

The bf with his new RBB blankie!

Earlier this year, my boyfriend's dog, Max, died, and since Max loved sleeping on the bf's RockerByeBaby blankie, G thought that Max deserved to be cremated in that same blankie. Fast forward a few months, and G was saying that he needed a new RBB blankie to face the cold months ahead, and he asked for an extra big throw blanket size, and Amber being as awesome as she is, did it! The bf still says it's a bit small, but of course, he's huge! Truth be told, it is the perfect excuse for me to steal his blankie! ;)

RockerByeBaby is a shop mostly for babies and kids, but she also has a special listing for a throw blanket size, so adults can enjoy the awesomeness of their blankies!

That's all for today, but hopefully I'll return soon, sometime this week, maybe?

Friday Feature: Trencadis, amazing mosaic art from Spain!

Hello everyone! Friday is here and with it finally a new edition of Friday Feature!


And today it's a very special one, cause the focus of today's Friday Feature is Trencadis, the shop of  a super talended crafter from Alicante, Spain!


You can't image how proud I am to share this wonderful shop with you all! Finding it cause an absolute strike of luck in an already fairly lucky day! I had found an unique photo album to turn into my friend's Wedding Guest Book on the first shop I looked, and as I was printing photos for it I remembered my mum had asked for some photos to be printed of the Indian Wedding batch, so I got a brainwave for her belated b-day present! I printed two photos she had loved when seeing them all, and then went on an Etsy search for some cute handmade frames...


And low and behold I stumbled into these really really gorgeous mosaic frames that I just fell in love with, so I went to check how much the shipping would be, thinking they'd be from a shop from the US, as usual, and what was my surprise when I saw they were shipped from Spain! Even more thinking that they'd be here in time to give them to my mum the following Monday!


Angeles, the crafter/owner of Trencadis was super nice and was pleasantly surprised to get a fellow Spaniard as a customer! Unfortunately the handmade culture is really not big in Spain, so it's hard for crafters to find customers, and for handmade lovers like myself, it's hard to find shops that are into handmade and not Made In China!


I left on Friday for Valencia and the beach to have a weekend of stress, merriment and fun at my bff's wedding, and Angeles shipped my frames priority that very same day, so come Monday the postman delivered these two beauties, super well packed and protected! So much, that I had to spend a good pair of minutes trying to figure out the best way to unpack them!

I cut the photos further to make sure they fit nicely and re-wrapped them for my mum. I gave them to my mum that evening after work and she absolutely loved them! Both frames are amazing, and the tile work & combination of colours is brilliant! My mum loved them so much she's already looked for a place for them in her bureau for now, until she can decide where to put them to show them off better!

The orange & gold one is my mum's fave, but I'm not sure if that's the frame's merit only, or the fact that she loves that photo of me has something to do with it...

And I have to say, the navy and green frame is my fave of these two, and I can say is not just for the photo, I love how the combo of colours work for this frame!

I'm absolutely in love with this shop, and I'm thinking of getting some frames for myself too! But there are more than just frames there, you can also find some gorgeous candle holders, belt buckles and even vases!


I highly highly recommend this shop, and I'm doubly happy to do so, supporting not just handmade, but also a Spanish crafter, so my dears, do check Trencadis Etsy shop!

Friday Feature: Eden Gallery!

Hiya there everyone!

Still trying to get into the rhythm of blogging again, so here I am with a Friday Feature! Today I wanna show off the amazing work and skills of a super nice Southern lady called Deanna that I met through Attack Of The Craft (it really couldn't be any other way, that place is chock full of awesome artists and crafters!). She & her husband have an awesome Etsy shop called Eden Gallery to which they both contribute with their different but complementary pieces, Deanna does the paintings, different sizes and even amazing miniature pendants, and her husband does the steampunk pieces!

I got myself this amazing small painting quite a while back, and it was an absolute joy to photograph and that has that amazing mix of slightly Burtonian and loads of Victorian charm to it! It's absolutely amazing the detail and the skill that you can see in this piece, it's an absolute wonder be it from afar or close up!

I really just can't wait to have my own place to display it properly! It'll add a lot of charm to any living/dining-room!

Handmade Wednesday: Traveling Plushie Swap at AOTC!

Hey there!

Today I'm introducing you to Mr Rufus! He's a super cute little puppy plushie I bought from Vivikas Etsy shop for a purpose, and not only cause he's super cute and super adorable! I got this little guy to participate in the Traveling Plushie Swap at Attack of the Craft! Since I can't sew to save my life, I decided to buy handmade to at least keep up with the handmade-ness of the idea!

I took this photos before sending him to my partner, and I'm hoping my plushie will arrive in time for me to pack it with me to India, so it can do a lot of sigh-seeing with me!

Rufus and his bone, he's a lovely puppy, but a bit particular about his bone, no sharing!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: The Biting Gnome's Burn Busters!

Hey there everyone! Today's my last day off till after Xmas, so I'm gonna relax and enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee (I still haven't decided). So for today's Wearing Handmade Wednesday, I want to show you something coffee related.

 My new Biting Gnome Burn Burster! I love this fabric!

Ain't it super cute? And it dresses up nicely my On Cupcake Moon mug!

I've featured Karyl's shop before in the blog, with her hand stamped cards, and with various other goodies. She makes Burn Busters, Beasties, Baubles, Bags, Bed Bugs... all sort of crafty handmade awesomeness! I have to say, I'm totally in love with her Burn Busters, and I have like 3, counting this last one (wait, 4 then, cause I just got a Skelanimals one, and one to give to my nephew's girlfriend). And I got one also made for my dear twin Deb from On Cupcake Moon. These Burn Busters are good for the mugs you have home, but they're ideal for your coffee-on-the-go cups, so if you're a Starbucks (or any other coffee shop) addict, you need one of these, so check out Karyl's Artfire shop!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: Rad Rocket!

Hey there everyone! Finally, Wearing Handmade Wednesday is back! Not with the best of photos, this one was taken with my Xoom and not my camera, cause my remote is broken and I need to buy a new one, I just can't remember what website I bought this one! So for now... self pics will be taken not-as-well-as-I-wished.

Wearing my Rad Rocket Yoda slouch top!

I've known Jen from Rad Rocket for quite a while, I think since my eBay years, and that's a good 5 years I think. Her brand has changed names a pair of times, and she has expanded from just clothes to also some really cute resin jewellry too. I had been meaning to get something from her shop for a while, but when I saw this super geeky, super cute & super cozy & comfy Yoda slouch top, I knew it had to be mine! It arrived while I was in India, but as soon as I arrived I tried it on and it's just perfect for cold weather! Very warm, made of SW fleece that doesn't itch, and with a slouch cut that is very comfy!

Do take a lot at her Etsy shop for more cute & geeky clothes and adorable resin pendants & jewellry!

Shopping Handmade: Pilu's birthday, or how to buy handmade for a nurse!

Hey there! Today is Friday, and I've decided to bring back an old feature of mine, called Shopping Handmade, where I show off what handmade goodies I've bought as gifts for people, and how much they love them!

For today is the early gifts for Pilu's b-day, since I'm actually leaving for India on her b-day, and I have the days after today quite super busy! So after working night shift, I've met up with her and Esther, and I've ended up feeling like a hobbit! Wonder why?, not size related!, but I had breakfast (with Esther) and then I had second breakfast! (with Pilu). Somehow I managed to miss Elevensies there tho...

Let's start with the showing off!

As Pilu is in love with Zombie Pirate, I knew I had to get her a RockyTheZombie tee, and the new "Pirates in a Boat" print was too awesome to pass up, so I got her that one, and she is completely in love!!

Next, Pilu finally got her mini-Pilu from Camamiel, and now she's the proud owner of a nurse doll, wonderfully crafted, that looks like her, and even has a mini-Indy!!





Both mini-Pilu and mini-Indy are too cute for words! And Pilu is now super happy cause she finally has her Camamiel alter-go! Working with Ana from Camamiel is always a joy, and even more when I know her creations are gonna be loved and cherished, like all the nurse dolls I've gifted so far have been!

Ana was so nice to even send me a postcard of a photo of mini-Pilu & mini-Indy as a happy b-day card for Pilu, and she loved it!!

And last, but clearly not least, Catalepsia, a nurse paper doll, also from Camamiel! Pilu was trying to decide if she's gonna get her to decorate her car, her locker at work, or her reading room at home!

Now, it's time for me to take a lil nap, and then decide what bag to take as my carry-on luggage this time! Have a great Friday!

A Handmade Birthday!

Hallo everyone! Such a late entry!

But, it's gonna be a short one too, cause today is my birthday!! (less than an hour left here in Spain) And I just wanna share a few photos of some new food I've made today for my own (and friends & family) treat, and how I've celebrated my b-day!

Yesterday I went with two of my besties to Madrid, to try cupcakes in a few bakeries that I discovered through Objetivo Cupcake, and to buy some baking goodies at some of the shops that I found out about in the same blog! Pilu, Sara & myself started the afternoon eating sushi for lunch, yum yum!

Sara & Pilu!!

Sporting my Vivifromage Sushi top!

Afterwards, we went on search for cupcakes! We started with Happy Day Bakery, a bakery with a lot of American style and very yummy cupcakes too! I tried a Red Velvet and it was really nice!

We decided to drop by Comercial Minguez, a shop for everything baking related, and I was so overwhelmed that I only bought a pair of sprinkles and some super cute liners for Holidays time... and! I saw Alma, from Alma's Cupcakes, my future cupcake teacher! But since I wasn't sure it was her, I was a bit shy to go and ask her... silly me!

Then we went to Cream Bakery, but it was closed cause they were prepping for Sugar'09, the baking national fair that is this week, and so were other shops that I had checked online, so we decided to go back home. We've agreed we need to plan another trip for more cupcakes!

Today, for my birthday lunch, I decided I wanted to make home made mini pizzas, with goat's cheese and zucchini, and chicken brochettes! The mini pizzas recipe will be up on the blog soon, and the chicken brochettes recipe is HERE!

And in the afternoon and evening I had some friends come over, to spend some time catching up, so I baked some Chai Latte cupcakes, with a recipe from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World" and instead of the suggested icing, I used a honey buttercream from a new blog I've discovered, Carrot Cake! Very yummy!!




I got some nice pressies, some of them handmade! and also spent some awesome time with friends and family, so it was a very nice birthday! Tomorrow will go back to work, with the leftover cupcakes, to share with my co-workers!

Friday Feature: BrookiEllen!!

Hey there everyone!

It's Friday now! And even though I work today and tomorrow, after that I'm gonna be enjoying a few good days off to celebrate my b-day (that'll be next Wednesday!).

For today's Friday Feature I wanna introduce you to BrookiEllen, a very very talented lady, that doesn't limit herself, since she has diaper covers for babies, sandwich and snack baggies and lunch totes in her Etsy shop, and all in the cutest and coolest fabrics ever!

I got myself a super cute lunch tote from her shop, but I have to confess it was mostly cause of the fabric it was made of! And maybe you have guessed what fabric it was? Yep, sushi fabric!

It isn't too big or bulky, which is good, I don't want it to take too much space, and since it has a handle it can be toted around on its own, or be packed inside a bigger bag. And did I mention I love the fabric?

I don't take lunch or breakfast with me to work, cause most days I barely have time to have my coffee while getting filled up on my patients during shift change, to even have time for a snack (that's where my Tokyotombola fruit cozies come in). But for night shift, it's 10 hours, so even if it's at 3 am, I do have time (and need) for some form of a meal (late second dinner? early heavy breakfast?), so this lunch bag will keep my food safe and cozy!

A special about why to buy handmade & local.

Today is gonna be a sweet & short post, cause I wanna share with you a link to another blog post from an awesome blog called Modern Rosies, a blog you all ladies with business or that love handmade NEED to follow, a blog post with an amazing video made by the awesome Sheika Lugtu aka Sheikasaurus Rex!

http://modernrosies.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-be-happyand-you-may-just-change.html?spref=tw

If you already shop handmade & local you'll feel extremely justified & happy to do so, if you don't you might just give another look at things, and give handmade a try!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: CollisionWare!!

Aaaand here's Wednesday! I'm still trying to recover from both the sugar high after the Red Velvet cupcakes I baked on Monday, and this past night shift...

Wearing Handmade Wednesday this week was also inspired by my Monday baking, sugar highs sometimes mean productivity! ;)

Wearing my Collisionware sushi apron to bake Red Velvet cupcakes!

This is not the first time I've featured Collisionware in the blog, cause I've got me a pair of her pot holders & oven mitts sets for myself (actually, 3 sets) and I've also got a pair of sets as gifts for friends. After getting my latest set, made of the sushi fabric I'm so totally obsessed with as of late, I thought I had plenty of wares for the kitchen, but when I saw an apron made with said sushi fabric... I just new I needed it! And so did Angie, the lady behind Collisionware, cause she wasn't the least surprised when it was me who bought the sushi apron!

Angie has many other oven mitts and pot holders, some character oven mitts and plenty of cute aprons (along with her wallets), and she's also offering skillet mitts, and the sushi one of those will be my next purchase from her shop for sure! Still undecided if I'll go to her Etsy shop or to her shiny new website!