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Valerie Frances Kall

Jun 29 Not to sound full of myself, but I’m pretty sure this is the be all, end all of popsicle roundups. There’s a little something for everyone: the foodies, the purists, the ones who prefer frozen yogurt, the ones who prefer a little alcohol, everyone. Tweny-five options to be exact. The post I did last summer on the cold guys was one of DC’s most viewed ever, so I thought you’d all be up for another round – was I right? Click on the photo to be taken to the recipe. http://www.designcrushblog.com/2011/06/29/popsicles/

Popsicles!

http://beautyeditor.ca/2010/10/21/toronto-ss-11-how-to-do-the-fun-faux-bob-that-freida-pinto-hilary-swank-and-these-models-are-wearing/ Sponsored Holy hot rollers! I’ve been poking around our Toronto LG Fashion Week Flickr feed —which you may both have a gander at as well as use on your own site—and discovered the most gorgeous, glamorous faux bob hairstyles at the Rachel Mara show last night.

How to do a faux bob | BEAUTY EDITOR

Nov I’ve received a lot of compliments on this easy rendition of the once popular Edwardian hairstyle, and I keep thinking to myself that Victorian is in right now and I should share this simple style. But it wasn’t until a make up artist stopped me in a coffee shop in Traverse City asking me how that I finally put my foot down. As soon as I get back from Ireland , I thought.

The Simple Gibson Tuck @ @ Sara Lynn Paige PhotographySara Lynn Paige Photography

http://saralynnpaige.com/style/simple-gibson-tuck/
[Update April 13, 2012: I made a purse out of this motifs, tutorial is here .] [Update August 11, 2011: Thanks to Mia again for providing more information to answer some questions at the comment section. Please find the information of the type of yarn, hook size and the resulting flower size at the pattern section.] This is the first time I come across African Flower… well, accurately speaking, this is the first time I know that this crochet block is “African Flower”. Just like Granny Square , African Flower is a crochet block but in hexagonal shape, it can be joined next to each other to become a bigger piece and make into blanket, afghan, shawl, bag, table runner, cushion cover, soccer ball toy, coaster, pincushion, dress etc…. you name it! http://www.craftpassion.com/2011/04/crochet-african-flower-paperweight-granny.html

Crochet | Pattern | Tutorial | Paperweight Granny African Flower

When it comes to craft and decorating projects, wine corks are always crowd pleasers. They’re so versatile and have such great texture that adds a touch of nature to any room. If you’ve got a pile of wine corks hidden away, pull them out and get crafting! And if you’re a teetotaler like I am, you might try local restaurants and bars and see if you can take some of their corks off their hands for them.

Wine Cork Crafts and Wine Cork Projects - 30 Ways to Reuse Wine Corks

http://www.addicted2decorating.com/wine-cork-crafts-and-diy-decorating-projects.html

Echo House: A Breathtaking Interior Design

It is time for yet another home that left us speechless as we were checking out its diverse and breathtaking interior design. “Echo House” comes from Kariouk Associates and is located in Ottawa, Canada. The architecture team’s challenge was to make a renovation of a 1924 Victorian building and integrate it in its environment. The exterior can remind one of two blended cubes, which makes for an original design. But to be honest, we took a strong liking in the home’s interior arrangements, as we noticed they are full of pleasant surprises. Books were an important factor that “modeled” the design. http://freshome.com/2010/03/19/echo-house-a-breathtaking-interior-design/
http://www.sugarplumblog.net/2008/02/belgian-raspberry-brownies-with-truffle.html

Sugar Plum: Belgian Raspberry Brownies with Truffle Ganache

Belgian Raspberry Brownies with Truffle Ganache Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup raspberry beer 1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves 5 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey's Special Dark) 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Ganache: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 5 ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate truffles (Lindt) Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 11x8-inch baking dish with foil; coat with cooking spray. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in beer and raspberry preserves.

DIY Designer Inspired Bracelet Party – Hex Nut Bracelet | The Looks For Less

I have no idea how we got this party started lol. I’m pretty sure it’s all Trina’s fault when she tweeted a link to a curb chain bracelet and 5 other bloggers, including myself, knew exactly what she was up to. Since then, if you follow me on Twitter , you may have caught me tweeting with my buds and swapping ideas about DIY designer inspired bracelets. We were all so inspired that we decided to make bracelets and post all of our designs on the same day at each of our blogs – welcome to our bracelet party! I chose to make a Giles & Brother braided hex nut bracelet “look for so much less”. The real retails anywhere between $175-$250, but I put mine together for under $35! http://www.thelooksforless.com/2011/08/11/diy-designer-inspired-bracelet-party-hex-nut-bracelet/
http://www.hernewleaf.com/2011/07/21/diy-banana-republic-braided-neck-tee-shirt/

DIY: Banana Republic Braided Neck Tee Shirt | her new leaf

You still have until tomorrow, July 22 to enter my first blogiversary giveaway ! Get your entries in! Have you guys heard of Pinterest ? Pinterest is a virtual “pinboard” that allows you to visually bookmark images from all over the internet.
http://www.leethal.net/zine/?p=1210 If you’ve been following my blog, you know how I made 60 of these painted frames with song lyrics for our wedding decorations /favors… Well, a lot of wedding guests loved them and took one home, but we had a ton left at the end of the night, which we boxed back up and took home with us… So we now have 30 of them hanging on our big white living room wall!

Lace Stenciled Framed Song Lyrics! (+our wedding music)

DIY Hand Stitching, part 1

One of my favorite crafts is hand stitching-- it's fun, addictive, expressive and relaxing :) Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share easy ways to make your own patterns for hand stitching along with some tips and ideas :) These are some samples of my past projects-- I like to draw patterns freehand and use my handwriting. However, sometimes I adapt clipart type images to make a more complicated pattern, like the sewing machine or I just stitch the outline of an image I love, like the Goonies " Hey You Guys " silhouette :) I use a Back Stitch for all my hand stitching because it's very versatile and I like the look but you can use any combination of stitches for your projects... there's lots of fun ones! Today, we're going to start with handwriting & transferring your pattern :)

13 Super Secret Stair Storage Ideas

Underneath the stairs lies a great abyss known as unused space in most homes. Check out this list of 13 inspirational ideas to kick-start how to use your stairs, steps, and angles to your best small space advantage! In no particular order, here are our favorite 13 ways to efficiently use your staircase space: Stair Drawers : When you think about it, directly underneath your steps are layers of unused space. So why not add functionality to those common rectangles by transforming them into drawers? Perfect for shoes, out of season clothes, and sports equipment that needs to be out of sight, but still accessible.

Apple Pies

I know, I’ve made a few pies lately . But see how these are different? Look at how adorable these are! I mean, come on.

DIY: Bottles Full of Light

The other day, I wrote about attempting to drill through glass and I finished up the project this weekend. I think it turned out beautifully — I love the idea of bottled light! These would be pretty by a wintery window or under an entry table.

Homemade Skinny Chocolate Cake

Be still my chocolate loving heart, a moist chocolate cake made from scratch with only three tablespoons of oil in the entire cake! Top this with some chocolate syrup and fresh raspberries and oh my, what a chocolate dessert! I've been experimenting making a cake from scratch with less fat for a few days now and after a few rounds I finally got it to where my taste testers (aka husband and friends) all thought it was great and couldn't believe it was light. My secret? There's pudding, yogurt and applesauce in the mix!
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