P.E.P. Update!

As of August 14th, here's the current list of P.E.P. participants:

1. Vannesa T.
2. Mandy L.
3. Alexandra K.
4. Tisha K.
5. Nicola P.
6. Victoria T.
7. Kaitlyn P.
8. Pamela C.
9. Lauryn G.
10. Hannah N.
11. Julie T.
12. Barbora K.
13. Hayley J.
14. Peta D.
15. Boyd B.
16. Christina E.
17. Sheryl S.
18. Cat B.
19. Robin M.
20. Gayle H.
21. Vickie C.
22. Melissa B.
23. Laura Q.
24. Maartje V.
25. ME! :)

If you signed up and your name is not listed, please let me know by leaving a comment. If the form is also giving you a hard time, leave a comment as well and I will get in touch with you via email. Thanks again, everyone! Just a few more days and we will be matched up with our partners!

The Baby Buddha.

It was just like yesterday when I first posted this animated photo of my nephew, Mattie, in my old blog. Back then, he had fluffy baby hair and despite the fact that he did not have a single toof, it looked like he was asking for a cookie, in that animated photo at least. Now, Mattie is more than a year old. He is sporting a nice haircut suited for a heartthrob in the making. He also has 6 baby toofers and can easily munch his way through all the cookies his little chubby heart desires. I heard that he is quite an active little boy too. Don't grow up too fast and always remember that Aunt T loves you!

Hollyhocks.

I was going through the grocery aisles one day when I randomly found myself in the gardening section. They had some really good deals on outdoor furniture and decorations so I just had to look around.

Next thing I knew, I was standing in front of those seed packet displays, deciding which flower I would like to try planting. I ended up buying 4 different packets of seeds, a couple of peat pots, and some potting soil discs, all of which were at least 30% off.

I don't know anything about gardening but looking at the lovely photos that adorned those seed packets somehow made me feel like I could do it. How hard could it be anyway, I thought to myself.

For next couple of days, I found myself researching about the flower seeds I bought and as it turns out, I wouldn't be able to plant them until Spring. There were 2 flower seeds that I could sow for Fall though so I started with the Hollyhock packet.

3 weeks have passed and to my surprise, my Hollyhock seedlings are still doing great! Not all of the seeds sprouted but I guess that was to be expected. I hope that they will make it when I transplant them in their proper places in our garden this Fall. I've read that some varieties don't really bloom until their second year but since the ones I bought are supposed to be perennial, I hope they would bloom next summer. Below, you can find my little potted wonders and a photo of our pear tree:

P.E.P. Update!

As of August 7th, here's the current list of P.E.P. participants:

1. Vannesa T.
2. Mandy L.
3. Alexandra K.
4. Tisha K.
5. Nicola P.
6. Victoria T.
7. Kaitlyn P.
8. Pamela C.
9. Lauryn G.
10. Hannah N.
11. Julie T.
12. Barbora K.
13. Hayley J.
14. Peta D.
15. Boyd B.
16. Christina E.
17. Sheryl S.
18. Cat B.
19. Robin M.
20. Gayle H.
21. ME! :)

If you signed up and your name is not listed, please let me know by leaving a comment. If the form is also giving you a hard time, leave a comment as well and I will get in touch with you via email. Thanks again, everyone!

The Perfect Summer Dress.

The Primark Beach dress is the ultimate summer dress! When I saw the dress, I knew I have to get my hands on it. Since we don't have Primark stores here in the U.S., I resorted to eBay. Thank goodness for eBay! I was lucky to find the dress in what I thought was my UK size but when I tried it on, it was a tad tight. I read reviews that those dresses did run a little small so I ordered a size up but it still ended up being a little snug. I am definitely keeping the dress though and will wear it as soon as I can squeeze myself in it. With such a pretty and fun print, this dress is definitely a keeper.

So, what is your ultimate summer dress?

Happy Hamsters.

I am very happy that the sign-up for the Package Echange Project is coming along smoothly. 5 lovely ladies have signed up since my last P.E.P. update. I must say that everytime I organize a swap, I always feel nervous that I will not get enough response but so far, everything seems to be going well! I want to thank all the lovelies that have signed up and have been helping me spread the word about P.E.P. Let's keep it up, dolls! I will post another updated list of participants this Sunday. Have a lovely day, everyone! Let's spread the love!

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Images cannot be used without my written permission.
© Copyright 2011 Pretty Dandy.

P.E.P. Update!

As of July 31st, here's the current list of P.E.P. participants:

1. Vannesa T.
2. Mandy L.
3. Alexandra K.
4. Tisha K.
5. Nicola P.
6. Victoria T.
7. Kaitlyn P.
8. Pamela C.
9. Lauryn G.
10. Hannah N.
11. Julie T.
12. ME! :)

If you signed up and your name is not listed, please let me know by leaving a comment.

Once again, thank you for those who signed up already. Let's keep spreading the word around. The more participants we have, the more fun and exciting it will be! :)

My Favorite Fanning.

Make Your Own Furoshiki.

Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that was used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods during the Nara period. Now, it can be used to wrap almost anything. Furoshiki can be made using a variety of cloths from silk to cotton and even nylon. Although there is no set size, furoshikis usually come in 45cm and 72cm sizes. Since they can be used again and again, furoshikis serve as a great and "green" alternative to using plastic bags and wrapping paper. Below is a diagram of some of the ways to wrap using furoshiki.

I recently participated in a package exchange and instead of wrapping my gifts with wrapping paper and tissue, I decided to wrap it with my own furoshiki. Since they are reusable, the furoshiki that I used to wrap the gifts with becomes a gift itself! Furoshikis are so easy to make. For mine, I used a basic table napkin tutorial. Click the link or the image below to check out my easy tutorial!

Jo Lyn Alcorn's 3-D Paper Collage.

I first encountered Jo Lynn Alcorn's work while browsing through the pages of More magazine. Her flowers were so pretty, it was hard not to fall in love. Jo Lynn Alcorn's technique is 3 dimensional paper collage. Like Yulia Brodskaya, I like how both artists turn paper, something so flat and plain, into something so intricate and amazing. Works of art out of paper! For flower lovers and brides to be, Jo Lynn Alcorn's bouquets of custom made flowers may be ordered. Please visit her website for details and to read more about her and her unique technique.