Item of the day: Chocolate Bunny

I love chocolate. And I love bunnies. Easter is bliss.

This is by far the sweetest non-edible chocolate bunny I've ever seen - and the best amigurumi bunny I've ever seen too! Be sure to check out LuvlyGurumi - there's much more cuteness in store!

Item of the day: Pussy Willow Wall Art

I love pussy willows. My parents live in the country, so growing up, the signs of spring usually started with pussy willows (followed by the ice breaking up on the river). Of course, there are none here in the city... so I'd have to rely on something like this gorgeous wool wall art by FeltedStyleFabric.

Pictures!

Finally! The new adaptor for my camera is in, so I can finally upload some new pictures! Of course, my laptop is still broken though, so I can't upload anything. I'll need to increase the nagging until Pat fixes it. In the meantime, I'll be bringing the camera and adaptor to work so that I CAN have new pictures ~ and new listings of all the new jewelry I've been making (since I have no internet in the evenings I've been creating like crazy!).So this blog post is just to show you some of the photos I've been accumulating over the past month ~ and to give you a sneak peak of some of my upcoming items.First up are some flowers I picked up at the grocery store. I was just playing around with different macro shots and crops... I just love flowers!I'm constantly buying things on Etsy ~ supplies, clothes, jewelry, bath and body... the list goes on. I often forget to post pictures of these purchases, but sometimes I don't forget! Like this necklace I ordered from one of my Etsy friends, Simag. It's a beautiful hammered gold heart with Pat stamped on it.I already blogged about this awesome gold peacock t-shirt by rainbowswirlz ~ but now I have a picture of it on me! I absolutely love it, it's so comfortable ~ soon, I'm going to get this pheonix shirt, probably in the green. This week, I made a cake. Just a simple white cake (out of a box) with chocolate icing. And of course lots of sprinkles. You can't go wrong with sprinkles!Most of this cake is gone. Pat only had one piece..... which is bull, since he's the one who needs fattening up, not me!

And now for a sneak peak at some new items coming to Ulixis Crafts real soon!First up is a blue version of my simple hoop earrings. These are already available in red, but soon will also be available in blue, turquoise, yellow and purple. Of course, these are still one of a kind, with only one pair of each colour available.
I love these melon beads, they look so cute underneath various sized bead caps. In fact, I've made several versions with different colours, bead caps, complementing beads and metals (you can already find silver, gunmetal and brass in my shop ~ keep an eye out for all new copper!).
Here is a purple version of my seedpod earrings.
This was sort of something I just came up with while playing around with a huge bag of silver jump rings. I couldn't decide if I prefered the largest ring at the top or bottom ... so I made one of each. This way, you can decide! And if you love quirky asymmetrical earrings, but want something a little more subtle, these are perfect!
This necklace is made with beads handmade by hmbstudios. I've purchased beads from her for Thanskgiving / Halloween and just loved how the necklaces turned out, so this time I went with some spring colours. These ones in particular are made with recycled glass ~ you can see the old bottles in her original listing! Naturally, these necklaces will be completely one of a kind with no possibility for reproduction! (This green shirt is from another Etsy friend, mchen, and also incredibly comfortable!)
Lastly, here's a necklace design I'm pretty excited about. I made one in pinks/purples/red (shown) and one in blues/greens/yellow. It's like a little fringe that makes your cleavage look AMAZING! Again, these 2 necklaces (like almost all my jewelry) are completely one of a kind ~ I don't have any supplies left to duplicate these!

So keep an eye on my shop ~ new listings coming really soon!

Item of the day: Periodic Table Shower Curtain

OK, so this item, unlike all those I've previously featured, isn't handmade. But it is scienc-y and super cool if you ask me, so I had to show you. You can get your very own periodic table shower curtain over at mental_floss, a blog I really enjoy reading. Now you can brush up on the elements as you wash!

Item of the day: Hop to It

With spring already here and Easter fast approaching, I've been stalking bunny rabbits on Etsy. I love bunnies, and this spring, yellow has become my go-to colour. So of course, this necklace by one of my favourite Etsy artists, clevergirl, is absolutely perfect!

Crawling...

Do you ever have one of those days where the time just seems to crawl by incredibly slowly? Yep, today is one of those days for me. I don't have much to do at work today, so I'm sort of just sitting around, trying to figure out how to waste some time. So I'm just going to blog a bit...

It's officially spring! This weekend wasn't as warm as spring is supposed to be, but it was nice and sunny. Pat and I went for a long walk on Sunday to take advantage of the sun. We left at the perfect time too ~ right around suppertime, so there were no kids in the park we walked through. I took advantage of the empty swings and flew in the air for a while. Until these 2 old people came along, and sat at a nearby picnic table, smoking aggressively. We left... and they immediately took over the swings.

We ended up walking for a hour and a half, with a quick stop for ice cream and to rent movies. It was a perfect evening. If only Sunday evenings weren't ruined by the looming dread of Monday... It was really hard getting up in the chill (and dark) of the morning. And now the morning will just not end! Well.. I suppose I should try to get some work done. Have a great week everyone!

Item of the day: hoop.de.do

I think I came across these bulletin boards in an Etsy Finds email, and I just love them! These hoop.de.dos by littleprettystudio are so unique ~ and a lot cuter than a plain old brown bulletin board! They come in a bunch of different sizes, with many different patterns to choose from ~ which is your favourite? This one is mine:

Etsy Feature: idea2lifestyle

I came across one of idea2lifestyle's skirts while searching for a long skirt on Etsy, and I immediately fell in love with his designs. I love the unique fabric choices, and flowy, drapy feel to her clothing. Plus, many of his pieces are versatile ~ they can be worn more than one way and complement a large part of your existing wardrobe. Here are just a few of my favourites:

White moon light shirt - I love the detailing on the side and the ties at the wrist.

Pourquoi skirt - I love that gorgeous woven fabric peaking out the front! Gorgeous colours!

Red pocket long skirt ~ this is the one I fell in love with. I'm going to get myself one, I just have to decide on a colour ~ tan or peach or gray? I'm leaning towards the tan one...
UPDATE: I went with the tan! :)

Old China black and silver painting skirt/dress - reversible AND can be worn as a dress (halter or strapless) or skirt. I'm trying to find a good excuse to get this one for myself too...

What's your favourite item from his shop?

My laptop

My laptop, a Gateway CX2726, died over the weekend. It's 2.5 years old and has taken quite a beating from me over the years. Pat, my personal computer programmer, tried to fix it, but it looks like I'll have to reformat. Which I was preparing to do back in November, but never got around to.... So I'm going to lose most of my pictures from Christmas and since then. Awesome....

Luckily, I won't lose much else. I'm hoping my baby will be working like new again soon. Until then... I have limited access at work and on Pat's laptop. So I'm around, just not watching my email as closely as I'd like.

Item of the day: Cuddly Cat Snuggle Bed

I found these cuddly cat snuggle beds by Photogirl95 through an Etsy Finds email. I think they're adorable! I know a cute little black bunny that would love one, especially in pretty purples:

Etsy Feature: Linen

I love linen. It's such a beautiful, airy fabric, and I love the subtle texture it adds to a piece. Lately, I've been browsing Etsy for linen finds - here are some of my favourites.

Navy Blue Brooch - Linenme (I love this shop!)

Eclecticism Large Purse - GlamourDamaged - love this gorgeous vintage linen!

Brown Birds on Leafy Green and Natural Linen Pouch - laurabucci

Vintage Doily Bunting - Ravenhill

Yellow Appliqued Linen Tea Towel - murdockdesign - I want a set of these in different colours for my kitchen!

Item of the day: Shanks Print

I love this cute little guy - I want him for the bathroom! This is a print of an original painting by joehavasy, who has some really great animal and monster art. I really like the visible texture of the water:

Facebook

So I've been on Facebook for what seems like forever. I signed up when you had to have a school email address to do so. I don't use it very often, I find it kind of pointless, but it is fun to connect with old friends.

Recently, my dad added me as a friend. I know, weird right?? Well, there is a positive side - I get to see some pictures like this: Yep, that's me and my 2 brothers. I love that we all have constipated looks on our faces. And look how GREEN that grass is! (and yes, those are the tips of my mom's fingers on the left... I believe she's clapping...?)

Speaking of Facebook, I just added a business page for Ulixis Crafts. Like I said, I don't use Facebook all that much, so I don't know what I'm going to be using this for... but if you have a Facebook account, come on over and become a fan of my shop! Who knows, maybe I'll send out some special promo codes for discounts and free stuff for my fans!

Etsy Feature: Joannarutter

I came across the Etsy shop Joannarutter today, and I just fell in love. Her metalwork is so sweet! I couldn't resist showing you a few of my favourites!

Mr Fox pin

Very Tiny Chick Drops

Little Antler necklace

Double Raindrop necklace

Item of the day: Burnt-out Shell

I love miniature house decorations. I have a few myself, and I'm always scanning Etsy for them. Recently, I've been noticing junquegrrl's miniature abandoned house sculptures - I really love the old, rustic feel they have.

My Wisdom Teeth

Last I heard of them, they were rattling around in a tin can at the dentist's office. Well, the bottom 2 anyway.

So I had them extracted Thursday afternoon, and the dentist had a bit of trouble getting the left one out. It was "stuck" in the back "somewhere", maybe on a bone...? After much twisting (and a little grinding / cracking), both teeth were out. Actually, the right one came out fairly easily. I cried quite a bit (especially for the needles), but Pat was there to hold my hand (or foot, since there wasn't room for him at the head of the chair). And both him and the dentist were very reassuring.

But big fat liars! They told me the worse was over once the needles were done! Which actually weren't all that bad, despite all my tears (most of those were in fear and uncertainty anyway). And, in truth, the pulling wasn't so bad. But about 20 minutes after leaving the dentist's, OH THE PAIN!!! My mouth was still frozen solid, but my jaw and head were aching.

The Tylenol 3's I was prescribed certainly helped dull the pain, but my jaw ached pretty much non-stop Friday and Saturday. There was a bit of infection, so I'm on antibiotics (I nearly died when the dentist told me some pus came out when he poked the gum to see if I was frozen). All these drugs, and hardly any food, was hard on my stomach - and I was sick early Saturday morning. But by Sunday, I was starting to feel much better. I can't see much at the back of my mouth, but it seems to be healing just fine - no gaping holes or festering wounds. And no dry socket, thank heavens!

So it was quite an ordeal... I never want to go through that again! We'll have to see how it goes for my top ones... Those wisdom teeth probably won't break through my gums because they're so far back. And one is sitting on the edge of my skull... With any luck, they won't have to come out at all!

Item of the day: Cupcake Cookie Jar

Seriously, this is the best cookie jar I have ever seen. These are handmade by fruitflypie, so you can choose whichever colour of cake you prefer. Personally, I love the vanilla.

Etsy Feature: Verdigris

I love the look of verdigris. Verdigris is a beautiful soft turquoise / aqua patina that develops on copper with age. The creative artists of Etsy are also hand-painting it on brass for wonderfully unique jewelry. Here are a couple of my favourites:

Verdigris Begonia Necklace - teleecouture

Curved Petal Post Earrings - starvingartistdsgns

Lotus Verde - Bijoutiful

Item of the day: Peony Hair Flower

Take a look at this beautiful flower, made by dkdesignshawaii. Nope, they aren't real. Can you guess what they're made of?Clay! Seriously - crafted one petal at a time! I think they're absolutely amazing! These hairpins are being marketed as wedding accessories, but if you're bold enough, you could definitely pull this off for any special occasion. Like a graduation, anniversary or a fancy birthday party. And if it is for your wedding, but you don't think you could pull of the whole hair thing, why not pick up an entire bouquet?

Happy Square Root Day!

Happy Square Root Day! It's a rare holiday, so celebrate! Maybe have a root vegetable stew and some arrowroot cookies?

3 x 3 = 9

Ottawa.... Emerg!

Well, I'm back from Ottawa, and I saw a bit more of the city than I had bargained for! As I mentioned in my previous post, Pat's parents drove us to Ottawa Friday night. The 5 hour drive passed fairly quickly since I slept a good part of the way.

His parent's told us about their trip to Punta Cana and they had a wonderful time. Except for one thing - his mom had an allergic reaction while there. She waited the hives out for 2 days, but it got so bad she went to see the doctor in Punta Cana. She was given a shot, and told not to go in the sun. The next day, she went back for another injection because it hadn't gone away, and they flew back to Canada that night (as planned). Once in Toronto, they went to emergency and the doctor told her the same as the one in Punta Cana - it was a reaction to the sunscreen (which she had brought with her). Take Benadryl. So that's what she was doing Friday.

Half way to Ottawa, we stopped at a Tim Hortons ... and her bottom lip was swollen. She said that while she was in the Dominican, her lip and eyes had swelled a bit and had gone away with the shots. We figured it was just the hives moving around, which is common enough. The swelling was still there Saturday morning, and her top lip swelled up in the afternoon.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at Chateau Laurier (where Pat sister works as a restaurant hostess). It was delicious and the hotel was absolutely stunning. Old World glamour. Before going, Pat's mom had a brief chest pain. It went away pretty much right away, so we didn't think much of it. That night, Pat & his dad went off to the game. They had great seats - 3rd row behind the goalie. In fact, we could identify Pat on TV (thanks to his light-coloured shirt).

Half way through the 2nd period, Pat's mom gets another chest pain. Except this time it doesn't go away - and it's really, really bad. Pat's sister, her boyfriend and I made the decision to bring her to emergency. She didn't want to, but there was no way we were risking anything. Luckily, the hospital was only a couple of blocks away and emergency wasn't too busy for a Saturday night.

Well, we all learned that the doctors don't mess around with chest pains. His mom had blood test and an ECG almost right away, and was given a bed within an hour. The doctor (there's only one on night shift) didn't know if the allergic reaction and chest pains were related, so she focused on her heart (especially since there's a history of heart disease in the family). All the tests came back clean. By this time, shifts have changed and we're onto doctor #2. Finally, Pat's dad asked if it could be the Benadryl she's taking. Of course, the doctor dismissed this right away. But when Pat mentioned the anti-malarial pills they had been taking because of their trip, the doctor told her to stop taking them immediately. She was given something to help her sleep and was dismissed Sunday morning. Thankfully, they're also home now, and she's feeling much better.

We checked online - the major signs of allergic reaction for the anti-malarials she was taking are hives and swelling of the face, lips, tongue and throat. It's just incredible that it took 5 doctors to figure this one out. And that the one in Toronto didn't realize that after 3 days of not having used sunscreen, the hives should not have been that bad anymore. It's just too easy to run with someone else's diagnosis.

So we didn't sleep much Saturday night (our bus home was at 7am Sunday), but we did get to see some characters in Ottawa emergency! It was pretty entertaining! And at one point, there was some x-rated stuff playing on the TV there (on mute thank heavens)!!! We couldn't help but laugh hysterically... I think we were a little over-tired.