Nails: Be Mine

Jazzed up my Shellac manicure with some Konad. Looks a little bit Valentine's Day, don't you think?

CND Shellac: Wildfire
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: White On
Konad Plate: m57

Recipe: I'm Lidia Bastianich!

I don't have cable at my apartment so I watch a lot of 1) Netflix and 2) Boring old broadcast TV.  I usually like PBS the best and they now have a "Create" channel that has cooking and crafting and travel stuff on it.  One of my fave shows is Lidia's Italy, a cooking show, in which the host Lidia Bastianich makes Italian food that I drool over.

Tomatoes for the Sauce

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the E.L.F. Giveaway is... HEY SIS!

I'll be emailing you soon to get your info.  Thanks everyone for your entries, and stick around! I like to do giveaways so I'm sure that there will be another coming up soon!

This is what Addiction looks like...

I only owned 11 of these polishes before ordering my Konad a few weeks ago...I also ordered more design plates today.  At least I can admit I have a problem!

Click for Larger View

Project: Sorbetto COMPLETE

Aren't you proud of me? I finished my Sorbetto already! I used a cotton I got at Joann's a few years back and picked up the neon green bias tape and buttons at my local Ben Franklins.  Speaking of, I paid $1 a piece for these buttons! Outrageous! I had no idea that button prices were so high!

The pattern was really easy and fast to put together just like everyone says.  I did all the sewing in one evening, taking about 2 hours or so. I have never made a Colette pattern before so I was a little worried about the sizing but I made my normal RTW size (9/10) and it fits great. I was really thinking that it was going to be too big as I was sewing it, but I'm glad I didn't make it any smaller since it needs a lot of ease because there are no zippers, buttons, or other closures.  I think I could potentially go down to an 8 for a closer fit, but I don't know if I will since its so comfy :)

The directions were super easy, but I added sleeves which aren't outlined in the pattern or directions.  I used the sleeve pattern from a New Look pattern I already had.  I sewed them on after sewing the shoulder seams, but before the side seams so I could do it all in one-go rather than trying to put in the sleeves afterward.

I love that my Sorbetto matches these crazy, lime shoes I hardly ever wear!

I'm really happy with how it turned out and I can't wait to do another one!

Book: Tiny Knits

Remember when I posted about these tiny bunnies?  Well, the creator has now released a whole book of these mico-mini toys! Totally cool. Check it out at Mochimochi Land!

E.L.F. Makeup Giveaway! - CLOSED

Have you ever heard of E.L.F. cosmetics?  It's a brand of makeup that sells most of it's product for only $1 a piece! I have been using their makeup brushes for a few years since even department store brands can get a little pricey, but at $1 a piece, E.L.F. brushes are a good investment to try out new techniques and applications.  I used to have just the total face brush and an eyeshadow brush, but I've recently bought several of the brushes in their "Essentials" line.  They are of good quality, but really, the quality is outstanding for the price!

If you sign-up at their online store you will also get emailed coupons very often.  I recently bought a bunch of stuff to try since I haven't really tried any of their makeup yet.  I got excited about their eyeshadow primer (which I have been wanting to try but don't want to pay $$$ for Urban Decay) and Matte Finish nail polish. AND I also picked up a little something extra for YOU!

You can win E.L.F.'s All-Over-Color stick in Pink Lemonade, which is a pretty, medium-berry tone, which will flatter most (it's a little darker in real-life compared to the online photo). It can be used as blush, lipstick, or eyeshadow.  You will also win the Essential Eyeshadow Brush.  These will be new and unopened, in original packaging!
**Please note, this contest is not sponsored by E.L.F., I'm doing it myself because I think it's cool stuff**

My All-Over-Color Stick in Golden Peach

MANDATORY ENTRY:
Follow this blog and leave a comment to enter. DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL so I can contact you if you win!


BONUS ENTRIES:

1. Like The Cute Octopus on Facebook, and leave me a comment saying you do.
2. Share this contest on your blog/Twitter/Facebook/etc. and leave me a link.

CONTEST CLOSED!

I'm Loving: Japanese Craft Books

Why are Japanese craft books so dang cute? Everything in them is so perfect and adorable and I just want to make absolutely everything! Unfortunately, I don't live near a bookstore that carries them so I just lust over them on the internet.

I feel like American/English craft books just don't have the same level of adorableness. I have bought Aranzi Aronzo's Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls (speaking of which, I should do a review of them...) which were translated to English with the cute still intact.

I also just ordered "Palm-Size Stuffies" in Japanese because the English version, "Palm-Size Softies," totally uglified the designs. The doggies go from the cutest thing on earth to some kind if 70's-era bug-eyed creeper! Yikes!

I can't wait until my book comes in the mail so I can start creating! (I hope it won't matter that I can't read even a tiny bit of Japanese XD ) What are your favorite craft books?

Project: Sorbetto

I cut out my Colette Patterns Sorbetto top last night.  I used a white and blue cotton I've had in my stash a while so it felt a little guilty to cut it up after hanging onto it for so long! I still need to get some buttons and bias tape in a contrasting color, maybe yellow or red.  I also improvised some sleeves, I used a mixture of the pattern provided by Mena of Sew Weekly and the cap sleeves from a New Look pattern I had.

I haven't used a Colette Pattern yet so I'm excited! I ordered the Parfait dress a while back and just recently tried to order Eclair from Fabric.com, but it was sold out. :( I'm hoping the fit is better than what I'm used to from the mainstream pattern companies.

Ren Faire!

I went to the Bristol Renaissance Faire for the first time ever on Sunday. I had lots of fun even though we got rained on! In fact, the rain was welcomed as it helped cool us all down from the hot sun! So, please ignore our slightly soggy appearance in the photos!

Blog: Cute Pandas

This blog is following some panda-babies born in a zoo in North Dakota.

WARNING: Some pics might be too cute to handle!

Nails: Sour Apple and Teal

Check out my cool manicure! I think I'm finally getting the hang of stamping my own nails!

Jordana: Boy Oh Boy
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: Green With Envy
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: White On
Bundle Monster Plate: BM-203

Etsy shop SALE!

Items added to my shop's SALE section at 25% off! Get them while they're hot!

Getting ready for: Ren Faire

Hey peeps! Sorry for my absence this week, I've been using up my free time trying to finish a costume for the Bristol Renaissance Faire.  I'm going this weekend for the first time ever! I thought that I would be wearing a corset I made a few years ago (when I was a teensy-bit slimmer), but somehow wearing a corset that now has 4 inches in waist reduction doesn't sound like any fun in 80 degree weather!  It's more of a "standing-still-and-marveling-at how-small-your-waist-looks costume" rather than a "walking-around-in costume" :-P So I need to finish a chemise and a looser bodice in one day...think it's possible?! I hope so! 

Have you guys ever gone to a Ren Faire? Any suggestions for a newbie?  What would you recommend for shoes?