December 24, 2011

2011 Homemade Christmas Ornament


I’ve made a new Christmas tradition for myself this year – to make an ornament for me! I made myself a Day of the Dead ornament from left over fabric my friend had, after making me a Day of the Dead bag. I embroidered the Day of the Dead skull and made it into an ornament. I even gave it a unibrow like Frida Kahlo, one of my favorite artists. It’s hanging on a little black Christmas tree I purchased last year to hang my Day of the Dead ornaments. I love the way my ornament came out! Merry Christmas to me!

What’s your favorite ornament this year?

December 12, 2011

Completed Projects: Owl Cup Cozy


I made this owl cup cozy for my co-worker Amanda, who loves owls and Starbucks, for her Christmas present. I’m trying not to buy craft supplies, unless I really have to, and use the materials I have at home. That’s what I did with this project! I had the brown and yellow yarn, black recycled buttons, felt, and the embroidery thread. I used a Starbucks cardboard cup cozy as my template. I embroidered my nickname “gooze” short her Guzman, my last name, on the back of the cup cozy. 


I purchased a Starbucks gift card and put it in a Starbucks cup with white tissue paper and inserted a green straw. I put the owl cup cozy around the cup. Thought it was a bright gift wrapping idea.

I know she’ll love it. Amanda is one of those people I always enjoy working with and together we are a Hoot!

December 5, 2011

D.I.Y. Stocking Garland from Recycled Cards

Ever wonder what to do with old Christmas cards? Make them into garland! A stocking garland that is!


Supplies: Christmas cards, stocking stencil, scissors, pen, hole puncher and ribbon. 1. Trace stocking stencil onto Christmas cards. 2. Cut stockings. I wrote who the card came from behind each stocking. 3. Hole punch top of stockings. 4. Tie the first stocking trough the ribbon leaving enough ribbon to tie the remaining stockings. 5. Display stocking garland!

December 2, 2011

Book Review: "Memoirs Of A Geisha" by Arthur Golden

November’s book club book was “Memories Of A Geisha” by Arthur Golden. Our dinner theme was Chinese food; one of my favorite foods, and our creative project was to decorate a fan. I dressed up as geisha minus the kimono for the book club and added a –san to everyone’s name, “Hello, Christi-san.” 

 
“Memoirs Of A Geisha” is an intriguing book from beginning to end. The beginning of the novel immediately sucks you in as Sayuri, a retired Japanese geisha, now living in New York, decides to tell her life story to a writer with the conditions that it doesn’t get published until she and the men mentioned in her biography are deceased. Which begs the questions, “Is she ashamed?” “Is she trying to hide something,” etc. Throughout the novel, Sayuri finds herself in numerous conflicts. I couldn’t put the book down, wanting to find out what happened next. “Memoirs Of A Geisha” will teach you about the kind of life a geisha lead during the Depression in the 1930’s and 1940’s in Japan. What I enjoyed the most about reading the book, other than learning some history, is that Sayuri was a very poetic character. She used lots of metaphors and similes. For example, “They just melt away like snowflakes” (page 141) as Sayuri refers not being able to retain information. Is the book based on true events or is it fiction? Read the book first; the author’s acknowledgment page at the end will relieve the answer.

As some of you may know, “Memoirs Of A Geisha” is also a movie. I watched the movie when it first came out in theaters so I vaguely remember it but it did help add a few faces to the characters in the novel. I didn’t want to watch the movie again until I finished the book. Plus, people always say the book is always better. I plan to borrow the movie from a friend soon and I can’t wait see the differences and similarities between the book and the movie.

Overall, I give “Memories Of A Geisha” by Arthur Golden four stars. I highly recommend book!
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