The Phoenix

Have been busier than expected - the leg warmers are HOT! On Friday I sent out the last non-local Halloween order and tomorrow will begin Christmas tutus. It's been a fun fall season with several neat requests. The most unique was a Phoenix tutu.

I thought for quite awhile as to how to do this tutu.... Truthfully, I stayed up into the wee hours trying to figure out the tail. Thankfully she had sent me a few pictures of what she kind of had in mind. The tail just wasn't looking right, until I decided to flame it by cutting the strands at an angle.

She wanted the yellow to be blended down from the top, but with such a short skirt there wasn't much space to blend down. So I added shorter strips of yellow "flame" on he red to blend it at the top some. Then I decided it was too yellow, so sprinkled in some single-layer strips of red.

Left the front of the tutu with straight edges so that it didn't get too short - it was definitely a delicate balance between too short and too long with this tutu. She wanted the back to be dramatically longer than the front, but I didn't want it to be so long that the little girl would trip over it. So I took up the front some to give the back an even longer look.

A hard tutu to photograph on the hanger, even harder on the table.... But I didn't want to allow Big Brother to try it on and get it all messed up (it was his size). I'm hoping to see pictures of this little girl in her Phoenix costume.

This week it's more leg warmers and tutus, to restock my Etsy shop and prepare for my first craft fair - in 2 weeks already! Tutus on tap this week:  a peacock similar to the Phoenix, candy cane, burgandy red & hunter green.... Remember to enter my TUTU GIVEAWAY! Winner will get to choose their size and color (up to a size 5)...and I'll cover shipping as well. Just comment with what color tutu you would love to see. I will put everyone's name in a hat and draw a winner after the craft fair on November 5th.

Bring On the Baby Legs

Wearing a sweatshirt today, considering closing a window (or two) in the house, and preparing the kitchen to bake cookies (which always starts with dishes) - hoping to get to the cookie part before the kids finish napping.  Daddy-O dressed Baby Girl this morning in a long-sleeved onesie and sweat pants.  I had intentions to change her outfit after he left for work, but she's definitely needed the warm clothes today.  It's a great day for leg warmers!

I've been eyeing up knee highs in all the stores and keep reminding myself to place an order to make lots of leg warmers for the upcoming craft fair (Nov. 5th @ the MAC, free admission).  Today I was looking at material and ribbons and just about bought some, but stopped myself.  Need to match the ribbons to the socks, not the socks to the ribbon.  Still looking for some holiday socks at a reasonable price - need to keep costs low so my prices can stay low.   :D

Tutus, Tutus....



Purple, Lavender & White tutu with Purple Poppy headband

In preparation for my upcoming craft fair - maybe fairS, I've made tutus all last week.  I'm having so much fun putting the colors together and seeing how they blend once finished! This one reminds me of lilacs and pansies.



Hot Pink & Purple tutu with Hot Pink Gerber Daisy hair clip

This one reminds me of Bubbliscious Bubblegum, remember the squares that you could barely fit into your mouth once you started chewing them. Great for big bubbles! 


Hot Pink, Baby Pink & White with Yellow Peonie hair clip

Ice cold pink lemonade on a hot summer day? Perfectly pink for newborn pictures or for the girliest of girls to twirl around and around.

Am considering a couple other craft fairs this winter. We'll see. I'm nervous about this first one. The biggest questions I'm trying to answer right now are "How much inventory should I bring?" and "How am I going to display it?" My friend, Robin came over the other day to craft. She is making princess and dinosaur fleece hats. Oh so cute!

'शयपत्री' The Hundred Leaf Flower (aka. Marigold)



Marigold hair clip

Naturally golden in color, marigolds can be found all over the world in different varieties. I remember my mom always harvesting the flower heads for seeds the next season. She has advised me to grow them in my garden to keep the insects away from my veggies. Though I didn't have much problem with insects this year, I'll have to remember this next year. We were just so busy with getting the boxes together and mulch down, that I forgot to plant a row or two. (Never got around to planting my dill either, until I just bought a small pot from Sunflower Market this week. Lets hope it grows in enough to survive before the frost comes.)

Marigolds are used as a culinary herb to make an anise-flavored tea and as a substitute for tarragon. The marigold used in the Ukraine is said to have a flavor that's a mixture of basil, tarragon, mint, and citrus. Maybe I'll get creative next year and try it with our zucchini blossoms - something else we haven't tried yet.



Marigold hair clip

Attached to a partially lined alligator clip (full size clip) this marigold can be used as a barette or to adorn ponytails, braids, tutus....just about anything you can clip to. It is smaller than most of my flower clips, with a diameter of approximately 2.5 inches. A wonderful summer-autumn flower for those of us embracing the fall.

Don't forget to enter my TUTU & FLOWER GIVEAWAY by commenting what color tutu you would love to have! (If you're having trouble commenting on Blogspot - which I know has happened - you can also comment on the Ellie Grace Facebook Page.)

Tutu & Hair Clip Giveaway!



Purple & hot pink tutu with hot pink gerber daisy clip.

Announcing my first craft show: November 5th 9am-3pm at the MAC in Westminster, CO (72nd & Irving).

In celebration, I'm giving away a custom tutu and hair clip (or headband). Just comment here with what color tutu you would love to have and what size I should stock for the show. A winner will be drawn November 5th.
Comment on Facebook or here to enter.

Note:  Commenting what color & size you would like does not place an order with me or commit you to that specific tutu should you win.

Violet Purple Memories

I'm getting ready for my very first craft show (as a vendor)!   Nervous, yes.  Excited, yes.  It's just a small one at the local rec center and I go with a friend to register tomorrow.  In the spirit of getting ready, I've been making tutus to build an inventory.  There are so many questions to work through: how much inventory do I need?  Special prices or bundles?  How will I display everything - tables, hangers, headband & hair clip holders?  How much change should I have on hand?  Do I need credit card capabilities?  Should I accept checks?

Purple, lavender & white tutu with purple poppy headband.

Photographed Baby Girl in the newest tutu this morning.  Everytime I sat her up on the bed to get a nice sitting picture, she would flop backwards and throw her feet up.  So we moved it outside for a little bit.  Then she was interested in everything but the camera.  I love how the sun caught the crystal in the center of the flower on this one.



Purple, lavender & white tutu with purple poppy headband.

I decided to start with some purple tutus, since that has been the color request lately.  Will probably be sending this one out to our friends, Steph & Mike whose baby girl is due next month.  A great color to cut into all the pink stuff!

Was looking at this one last night and trying to decide what it reminds me of. The royal purple and lavender brings a flood of memories. The first thing that came to mind was my grandma's pansies. Alongside and in front of her tiny, "cracker box" house she grew little white lillies (the name is escaping me right now) and pansies. She would always pluck a pansie and pull off the petals reciting a rhyme about a little lady washing her feet. Truthfully, I think the little lady in the middle of the pansie looks more like a tiny lady in a white ball gown.



Baby Girl is looking for Daddy and Big Brother (who have left for school & work already), repeating "Eee dat daddy? Eee dat daddy?"   (Purple, lavender & white tutu with periwinkle polka-dot ruffle baby leg warmers.)

The next thing I thought of when contemplating this tutu was an old boyfriend's mom who used to grow tons of African Violets of various shades.  Noticed while I was home last weekend that my mother-in-law is also growing some on the window sill abover her kitchen sink.  I used to love checking out all of her velvety violets in all the different shades of violet, lavender, and white.

Purple, lavender & white tutu with marigold hair clip.

Lilacs.  Even though my grandma was allergic to them, I always associate them with her.  Thank you, Jenny for saying these are lilac colors!  And, of course, I've been admiring all the lavender stalks in bloom around town this summer....and if you happen to be lucky enough to be up in the high country of the Rocky Mountains, find yourself a Columbine flower. My husband's favorite purple association is the Colorado Rockies! Sure my son would agree. :D

Purple, lavender & white tutu with periwinkle polka-dot ruffle baby leg warmers and purple poppy headband.

Hubby-proof Chrysanthemums

Hubby has nearly finished our new deck (just need to stain & seal it still and I hear that's the not-so-fun part). One of these days we will have time, hands, and a dry day to get it done. I was so excited when he was finishing the planter boxes (instead of a railing on the low side) that I went out and bought some yellow and red mums. Well, back to the staining & sealing bit.... Guess my shopping was a little too early and they've been sitting in their pots in the garden until I can plant them in their boxes. Long story short, left Hubby home for a week while I took the kids to see grandparents.... and now I don't have to worry about planting the mums. It will be Hubby's job once he has the planters ready and buys some new ones.

An autumn flower, mums have many meanings and uses. Some people say that the Chrysanthemum symbolizes honesty and they are a traditional gift for Mother's Day in Australia. In Japan a Chrysanthemum sweet tea is made and used for many uses, including the flu. Other medicinal uses that have been found include being antibacterial and possibly an anti-HIV drug. On a gardening related note, pulverized flowers are used as insecticides. Will have to look into if it's safe to use in vegetable gardens - the earwigs haven't been too bad this year, but they still creep me out.

HUBBY-PROOF CHRYSANTHEMUM

Golden yellow and orange mum hair clips, 4" in diameter. Are you ready for fall?

On the Sunny Side of Helianthus Annuus (the Sunflower).

I planted sunflowers for the first time this year, a dozen of them made it from seedlings inside to transplanting outside in a corner of the yard. Now I have 3 sad looking sunflowers. In Colorado lavender and sunflower seem to be the easy-to-grow outdoor plants, much like the hosta is to Minnesota. Maybe next year I should just throw some seed out and cross my fingers - may have better luck.

So the home-roasted sunflower seeds won't be happening this year, but there are sunflowers for your hair! My MIL brought some of her NIP Home Interiors sunflowers for me to use in my creations - part of her major decluttering project. (Am going home to visit next week and can't wait to see the progress she's made on her house!) These SUNFLOWER HAIR CLIPS measure approximately 4" in diameter and will surely brighten your day. I've sewn all the petal layers together and replaced the fuzzy (and somewhat messy) brown center with a big crystal rhinestone. The entire sunflower is attached to a partially lines alligator clip. Just let me know if you'd like it on a headband instead. I'm thinking I'll make Baby Girl one on a chocolate brown headband.

On our roadtrip to North Dakota this summer, I enjoyed fields and fields of sunflowers. It's always good to be on the sunny side of a sunflower field, with all their golden heads turned up in sun worship. Did you know that it's native to North America, but was first commercialized in Russia? Researchers believe that Native Americans were growing sunflowers back in 3000 B.C. Today it's cultivated for sunflower oil (a healthy cooking oil) and the seeds. Other uses include a purple dye, decoration, and treating snakebites.

Quick & Courageous Dragonflies

I've been making so many flower hair clips (just did a pastel yellow peonie, sunflower & yellow/orange mum today) that I've been missing the dragonflies. I took a few out last week, took some new pictures, and made them into hair clips.

Decided to look up some information about dragonflies. Did you know that they can't walk well, but are one of the fastest insects in the world (with average max speeds of 22-34mph)? In Native American tribes they represent swiftness and pure water. Probably because of their speed and because they're usually found around water - where they lay their eggs. In Japan they're associated with late summer and early fall. They symbolize strength, courage and happiness.

Baby Girl's 1 Year Pics!

We got our pictures from Greg McBoat Photography and they turned out pretty darn cute! Here are a couple of my favorites - though it's hard to choose.

Busy Tutus

Baby Girl's been busy walking - ran for the first time today - and I've been busy making tutus (and a sundress, no pics yet though). Check out Ellie Grace Etsy for custom tutu listings. Currently I have 2 premade and available:  Rainbow extra-fluffy 18m ($19.99) and red / hot pink extra-fluffy 3T ($24.99).

Both have ribbon-encased waist bands, bows and are extra fluffy.

The flower hair clips make great accessories on these!



Peonie Sun Hat

Picked up a sun hat to embellish, since we're spending lots of time outside this summer and getting plenty of sun. We're all sporting a good tan already. Baby Girl reminds me of the girl figures on an embroidered quilt that my mom is currently working on.

It's working wonders for keeping the sun out of her eyes - the scrunched face is because she knows I'm keeping her away from the pool by giving her veggie fries. (Big Brother was doing swim lessons....and she's such a fish.)

Clips Are Coming!

Not everyone is a headband girl... So it's about time I made some clips. This was another one of those late night photo sessions with a newly created clip: periwinkle carnation on a ribboned alligator clip. Tried these in Baby Girl's hair and they actually stay, though I think they'll work much better when she has a little more hair to work with. I wore a pink daisy in my hair today - matched my pink highlights.

We were at my alma mater this morning for Baby Girl's 1st Year photoshoot. Our long-time friend, Greg does Big Brother's pictures every year and now he's begun to do hers as well. He definitely had a challenge today - she's my serious child and Big Brother's "listening ears" were broken. I love seeing the progression in his photography as the years progress. Baby Girl's 4th of July outfit: tank & bloomers from Kohl's, red gerber daisy on white headband, red/white/blue extra fluffy and long tutu.

Flag Day

Gearing up Accessorizing for the 4th of July with a red, white & blue tutu. How appropriate that I got to starting this on Flag Day. It's almost done, but I ran out of tulle - cut the strips longer than I had originally planned. That just means that she'll get to wear it longer though, since it has a nice stretchy elastic band.

Still tweeking a couple techniques.... will be able to do custom order tutus (and some premades).

A Day At Home....

Baby Girl loves to "shop" anywhere she can get into: nightstands, headboard shelf, under the sink, pantry....wherever there's something she shouldn't be into. Here she is shopping for breakfast in the pantry while I try to get her to hold still long enough to snap some decent pictures of my newest headbands.

 



















After naps I pulled out an art project for Big Brother. I'm adding ribbon to the Baby Girl's to clip on all her headbands.

Pink Peonies

Pretty pink peonies, my favorite - so why is it that I haven't planted any in my yard / garden yet? Probably get to enjoy them more on Baby Girl anyways.

These are full, frilly and fluffy with variations of pink and splashes of lavender & sage, giving a vintage look to it.

When she was an itty bitty we called her "Baby Doll" ...until Big Brother started thinking she was a baby doll.

Where Are We Going To Eat?

Where are we eating? Not as in "where are we going", but as in the kitchen table has been taken over by a sewing machine, flowers & tulle. Yes, I've been busy once again. This time it's flower headbands, more baby leg warmers, and tutus. Baby Girl will be turning 1 in 2 weeks so I'm remaking her birthday tutu and making a 4th of July one for her photoshoot. Who needs a garden when you have a precious baby girl to dress up in flowers & tutus? Will she someday hate me for this or understand that I just couldn't resist?

I've added polka dots to the mix of striped baby leg warmers. Of note, Big Brother tried on a pair of the baby leg warmers I've been making and (at 3 y/o, 41" tall) they fit him up onto the thigh. So these are definitely an accessory that will have a lot of wearing years. Check out my Etsy shop for more funky styles.

It's Grilling Season!

One of the reasons I love summer is the grilling and having friends over. We had a BBQ last weekend to celebrate our new deck and tonight we joined friends at their house for a birthday celebration - and yummy smoked chicken drummies.

I've been busy working on leggings, tutus and flowered headbands. A friend requested I make some 4th of July stuff.... may have went a little overboard on the ribbon with this one. One of my friend's neices (11 y/o) tried one on though and wore it very well. Am working on a fluffy red, white & blue tutu for Baby Girl's 1st Birthday photoshoot coming up in a couple weeks. Also working on a pink, green, purple & white glittered tutu for her birthday tutu. This one will be a little less fluffy so she can play in it better.

The Perfect Rainbow

I was busy last night & this morning.... and these are what Baby Girl gets to wear today until the sun heats up our beautiful Colorado day. She tried to put them on her head, of course, as she does everything - especially Big Brother's (clean) undies.

These are longer than your typical baby leg warmers, as you can see on Baby Girl (tall 11 month old), even pulled up all the way, they easily reach her heels and provide some foot coverage. I expect these will fit her well into her toddler years and perhaps even preschool or beyond (if not cheek-to-heel).

Currently I only have one pair of these available for sale ($8), but will have similar leg warmers coming soon - to include polka dots.

Tutu Frosting

After a week of company & installing a new deck, I finally pulled out my sewing machine to make some upgrades to Baby Girl's birthday tutu. Actually I'm making her a whole new one with upgrades: ribbon encased elastic, making it so that it can be slipped on without tying & untying the ribbon, and.... a white glittered tulle. My table looks like fairies flew over with heavy bags of fairy dust. It reminds me of the line from "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days": "Women of New York! Frost yourselves!" Ah yes. Glittering, sparkling diamonds. My kids love bling.

Depending on how you fluff it, you can make the different colors more dominant.

Also getting started on new baby leg warmers; here come ruffles!

Baby Bling

Finally broke down and purchased some flowers to work with. I wasn't happy with the ones that I had ordered with samples. So I've been kind of nervous about finding quality flowers. I've decided to reconstruct my own flowers and am pleased with the results.

Baby Girl is blinged!