i grew fungus.

from a box. ON PURPOSE. the soil is made from used coffee grounds. it was SO MUCH FUN. and delicious.

the guys that came up with this idea are geniuses. if you love the idea of growing your own mushrooms (and then devouring them) like i do, you should order a box, pronto.

reasons to love this kit, aside from those already mentioned above:

lotus root fabric wall panel

i finally decorated the barren wall in my craft room with this:

here is a tutorial i wrote a while ago. i used a larger version of my lotus root fabric in orange (i made this panel with the hope that one day i will have white walls).

a couple notes...

no overlocking the edges this time... just tucked the fabric under for a neat seam.

the husband drilled a hole for hanging.

ways to rid yourself of 30 yards of felt #1: make a 2X eco-coffee sleeve

for my first trick, i present to you the 2Xeco coffee sleeve tutorial.

two days in d.c.

the husband + i recently went on a quick trip to d.c. for a mini-family reunion. we were able to see a couple of old friends and spend a day with his brother (visiting from finland).

don't underestimate all the things you can do in two days.

you can....

crazy christmas lady

you may have noticed the appearance of christmas products in my etsy shop. sometime this summer, i was struck with the insane idea that this year i would make + sell whimsical, non- traditional tree skirts and some stockings.

i was inspired. it was going to be fabulous. i could NOT wait. i would make a minimum of 25. maybe 30. even 40. different sizes. different colors. different patterns!! the fabric store was having a sale on eco felt, and in my enthusiasm, i bought nearly 30 yards of felt. at once. i brought the husband along so he could lug the bolts around for me.

the lady cutting for me naturally was curious as to why i needed so much felt in the middle of july. i explained. she made a comment implying that she would not want a bright pink or peacock blue tree skirt in her house.... and ever since that encounter, she has greeted me as "the christmas lady" every time i enter the store. if you heard the tone of her voice, you would realize what she is really thinking is, "the crazy christmas lady".

fat quarter giveaway winner

congratulations to commenter #19: abi!

i will be sending you an email shortly to get your address. as for the rest of you players, i plan on doing more fabric giveaways in the future, so stay tuned!!