Tufa Pots by Jennifer!

My very talented friend and gardener, Jennifer McCabe, recently started a blog (follow her here) and just announced that she’ll be selling her handmade Hypertufa Pots at Scrub Oak in Nantucket starting June 10th.

Hypertufa pots are lightweight pots made of a cement & peat moss mixture.  They’re durable like cement, lightweight like a regular pot and make beautiful additions to gardens, porches or table displays.  Jennifer’s Tufa pots are all one of a kind, shaped by hand and cured to withstand the elements.   You can also learn to make your own tufa pots from Jennifer herself during workshops she’s leading at the Nantucket Garden Festival, July 25th & 26th.  Contact Jennifer for more information or to sign up for a class.

Happy EMS Week!

“EMS: More Than a Job. A Calling.” is this year’s theme, reflecting the idea that EMS practitioners do not choose this field for big salaries, comfortable working conditions, or 9-to-5 hours; they have a true calling to help and care for others in their hour of need.


Go here for more information. 


Happy EMS Week!

Riverdog Doggy Daycare: Window Painting

Liz and I painted the window over at Riverdog Doggy Daycare in Union Square last week.

  

Below is what the window looked like before….wahhhh-wahhhhh.  

(That’s the sound of something sad and lackluster.)  

We did a big Bernese Mountain Dog and dozens of little pink flowers to celebrate the arrival of Spring.  

And we also had to pay homage to Riverdog’s River-Cat, Dennis, the friendliest cat I’ve ever met and the shop’s unofficial mascot.  Dennis alone is reason enough to stop by the shop for a visit. 

Go check it out if you’re in the neighborhood and tell ’em Mandee sent you!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

 Mom, 

Happy Mother’s Day!!

  

Thanks for teaching me to tight roll my jeans,  sew a straight line, do the hippy hippy shake and to not accept less than I deserve.   

YOU’RE AWESOME!!!

And I love you all the way!! 😉 ~mandee rae

Commuter Crafts: 30-minute Wrapped Earrings

I have almost all of my best ideas while r-u-n-n-i-n-g out of the door to catch the bus to get to work.  (Usually at the exact moment I run out of time to actually do anything about it.)

Last week as I was throwing things in my bag in an effort to leave only 4 minutes after I was supposed to- it hit me, “I should make some custom earrings to wear with this outfit.”

Of course!  I’m 4 minutes late leaving to catch the bus that only comes once an hour, I ran out of time to make my lunch and already nixed that, my hair is a mess and I don’t think I brushed my teeth but of course- of course there’s time for custom earrings.  Why wouldn’t there be?

I grabbed some cheap silver hoops from my collection and embroidery floss from a friendship bracelet I was making for a friend and ran out the door to chase after my bus.

Once on the bus (I made it- with seconds to spare I might add) I set up my workspace on my lap and began to wrap the hoops with the embroidery floss.   I chose salmon, beige and black for my colors. 

Tie a knot with all 3 colors on the post side of your hoop (above) and begin wrapping the end of the string with your first color (below).  Keep the floss held taught while wrapping to keep it uniform.  

Switch colors and wrap with each color to create your design.

At the end, quadruple knot the floss, cut as close as possible and you’re done!

In about a half an hour you’ve made some new earrings that you can now wear into work and give the impression that you are a grown-up who wakes early, puts together perfectly matched outfits complete with earrings and who doesn’t leave the house cussing at your cat or wrestling with your jacket.    

(No-one has to know what really happened this morning.) 

UPDATE! Cat House: Free to a Good Home

***UPDATE!*** 

The house was picked up last week to help catch a feral cat living (and breeding) in the woods.  Good luck Heather!

Remember this?

I don’t need it anymore.  

I found Grits a home and now I’m wondering if anyone needs a double insulated, water tight, outdoor cat shelter.  Anyone?

Here’s the link to it on Craigslist.  IT’S FREE!!  

Let me know if you want it or if you know someone who would please pass it on.  I’d hate to have to throw it away.  

Safari Painting for Baby Ryan

This huge 36″ x 24″ painting was done for Ryan whose Mom wanted a bright, colorful, happy Safari scene.  Ryan’s walls are painted a neutral color so the sides of this painting were done in alternating dark and light green stripes to really make it stand off the wall.  The happy characters are intentionally kept very simple to keep the painting from being overwhelming to baby.  

Ryan’s date-of-birth was snuck into the painting on a leaf in the zebra’s mouth and Ryan’s loving Mother is represented by the giraffe who’s giving her son’s name a good snuggle.  

From rough sketch to final product:

 This painting was designed to grow with Baby Ryan- being young enough to be appropriate for a nursery and also bright enough to be able to transition easily into a toddler’s room.  Email me if you’d like a painting made for your little one or if you have questions about price, sizing or anything else.  All questions are welcome.   

POW! ZAP! BOOM! Super Hero Shoes!!

I made these custom kicks for my super hero loving 5-year-old niece, Tabitha, who is in a two man band with her Dad that she aptly named ‘Tabitha and the X-Men.’  Wolverine is second only to Daddy in her life, she even calls people (including her Mom) “Bub”, just like Wolverine, he’s her absolute favorite.  Her other great love in life is Wonder Woman, she is a little girl after all. 

She always looks for shoes with her favorite characters but “those shoes are for BOYS, Aunt Mandee”- that’s where I come in.   

Sister bought these white canvas mary janes at Target.  They’re perfect, just-girly-enough, simple and easy to draw on.  I decorated them using a combination of paint markers and acrylic paint.  The drawings are comletely water proof- they won’t run, drip or fade. 

And now Tabitha has her own custom, Wolverine & Wonder Woman girly super hero shoes.   What more could a girl ask for?

Do you have your own hard to shop for tot that needs some custom kicks?  Email me and let’s see what we can come up with.