Music Minute: Leela James - My Joy (Live)

Say what you will about Monif C.

But anyone who can make a plus-size swimsuit like this can get my dough!!! She looks like a Bond Girl. Move over Halle!!!

Mission Soldier Support

My fellow EtsyGreeting Team members and I are running a special promotion for the month of July.

Purchase any card from participating shops and include Mission Soldier Support in the notes to seller and we will send it for you to an Air Support Battalion stationed in Iraq.

The following shops are participating:
http://Capturedtimebooks.etsy.com
http://KardKreations.etsy.com
http://brefour.etsy.com
http://NYPapercrafter.etsy.com
http://LiSoCards.etsy.com
http://stephjacobson.etsy.com
http://ChristinaWilliamsDesigns.etsy.com
http://PeggMackoDesigns.etsy.com
http://SoCalledMommy.etsy.com
http://CollectiveElements.etsy.com
http://MochaChild.etsy.com
http://Heartspeak.etsy.com
http://happydaystudio.etsy.com
http://OrangeCatArt.etsy.com
http://SouthernScraps.etsy.com
http://TheEclecticStudio.etsy.com
http://Tinalina.etsy.com
http://HaleysHandmades.etsy.com

Thanks for all your support!!

OMG...am I ready for all this?

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Dear Danielle,
Thank you for applying to New Jersey Institute of Technology. We have received your online application for the Fall 2008 term. You selected this degree and major: MS in Information Systems (Online).
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Sidewalk Chalk Art

One of the bonuses of being a parent is that I get to re-experience some of the joys of childhood. I know many of us can remember playing hopscotch in front of our apartment buildings or houses. The setup was almost as important as the actual game. If you weren't lucky enough to have an actual stick of chalk, you'd look for that perfect rock or piece of concrete for drawing your beautiful hopscotch grid. A clean flat stretch of sidewalk would do but it was better when you could draw on that sweet black pavement of the street or a driveway.

As the only girl in my generation in my family, it wasn't often I could get my brother or cousins to play hopscotch with me. It was more likely I would play skully or one of a million games of freeze tag, hide 'n' seek, or hot peas and butter with them. So I spent most of my moments with that hopscotch piece of chalk drawing masterpieces on black pavement. It was WAY better than drawing on my small chalkboard at home. Outside, my pictures could stretch forever and be admired by anyone who happened to walk by.

Now I share that with my little artist daughter every summer. We take our bucket of sidewalk chalk and draw hearts and flowers in front of our house. Sometimes my nephews (even the 12 year old one) will join us as we do out part to beautify the world.

More art in the city:

Evaporation T-shirt by Ikyoto

City-Bowery by Art by Iris

Decorative Swirl Tee by Kimmchi

P.S. You can learn more about sidewalk games at Streetplay.com.

Sunday Morning Crafting - 6/22/08

Etsy Treasury Love Strikes Again

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=52085

Etsy Treasury Love:

Jersey Summers

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=51937

A Day at AMNH with my six year old --- well sort of

My daughter just completed kindergarten and scored very high on her standardized test (97% Reading, 85% Language, 96% Math to be exact) So as a treat I decided to take her to a day at the American Museum of Natural History. "Night at the Museum" with Ben Stiller is one of her favorite movies so I figured it was a great way to expose her to a great museum. Right?

Wrong!!!

A half hour into the tour she wanted to go home and after seeing the pelts of mice and scary owls it was a done deal. Well at least I got some pictures of her with the dinosaurs.

Woo Hoo - Treasury Love

Just listed this item and it already made a treasury!

Flash Em if You Got Em!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=13551

I caved...

Yes I couldn't live without color. I gave up the relaxer but I needed my summer color. The grays were peeping out. But its growing!!

Crochet on the Go!

Despite the fact that many urbanites dread the daily commute, I look forward to it as a way to catch up on things. When I worked in the city, I would read novels on my morning bus ride into New York. My commute is much shorter now. I go from one city to another in New Jersey so instead of losing myself in a story, I lose myself in a project. I've found that a ball of yarn and a hook fit conveniently in my everyday tote. Commuting, whether long or short, can help you get some crafting time into a busy schedule. Personally I like to work on smaller projects like toys or hats because they are easily portable.

Multi-Colored Tam/Beret

But you can easily work on small projects like these:

Dishcloths by Ecokate

Vine Cotton Crochet Bracelet by Bubolina

In addition to my basic tools of yarn and hook, I like to make sure I have my Zen Mp3 player cued to the appropriate soundtrack. Just like when you're working out, music can motivate and inspire you. While I'm a die hard R&B lover, I notice I'm faster when I'm crocheting to club music and hip-hop. If it makes me dance, it makes my fingers fly through the yarn.

I've met so many fellow crafters through my travels. Passengers on the bus watch my busy fingers as a piece takes shape. It breaks barriers. Women (and sometimes men) will ask what I'm working on and tell me about projects they have at home. I've heard so many stories of how someone was introduced to crocheting, knitting, sewing, and more.

Sunday Morning Crafting - 6/15/08

Guess What?!!!

Calm down, calm down. No I'm not getting married. No I didn't get engaged. LOL. Sorry everyone, false alarm. Breathe!

Okay now that your heart has stopped racing. I've been looking at the cover of this Martha Stewart Wedding mag for the past two months. And even though I am dating the self described "confirmed bachelor", I secretly coveted this issue. It's not because I'm in a rush to get married. (Yes I would like to marry my beau. He is the "tops") But I was afraid of how this purchase would be perceived by others.

Background info: Eight years ago I met someone who I thought was the "love of my life" and after a few brief chats of getting married I started planning. And planning and planning. No ring in sight but I was trying on wedding gowns...argued with the man 90% of the time but I was visiting reception sites...knew deep in my heart he wasn't the one for me but I was keeping a wedding journal and designing reception themes. **sigh**

See while most little girls dreamed of wearing the white dress and floating down the aisle, I dreamed of conquering industry. I didn't know what I wanted to do for a living. All I knew was that I was going to be a CAREER WOMAN. Marriage was never on the agenda. I was too strange, too quirky, too independent to ever get married. Yeah, I might have a kid or two but marriage....BAH!!! But as soon as my ex mentioned marriage, I feel in love with the idea of a white wedding. Since I had never thought of getting married I went crazy with my lists and planner books and wedding mags. Like most "brides to be" I was obsessive. Every third word out of my mouth was wedding related. I'm the only female in my entire generation and it was a BIG deal for me to get married. It took two years and the birth of my daughter to realize my ex liked the "idea" of marriage vs. actually getting married. When it crashed and burned everyone in the family knew. So I was hesitant to pick up a bridal magazine and bring it home where someone might see it as they dropped by on a visit.

So why buy it?

Cause I love art deco and the cover just SINGS art deco! Cause I watch "Who's Wedding Is It Anyway?" like religion. (I love train wreck brides and I love a good wedding theme) Cause I love looking at wedding cakes just for their artistic value. Cause I get party theme ideas from reception photos.

Because I love this ring!!

And this ring..

And this one too!!!

And because who said I had to be engaged to enjoy a good bridal mag!!! I've bought them when I didn't have a beau. I used to buy them in high school.

And maybe because if the self described "confirmed bachelor" ever decided to give up bachelorhood for me, I'd have somewhere to start.

But even if he doesn't I can enjoy my pretty pictures.

Sunday Morning Crafting - 5/18/2008

I've been Meme'd?

I've been Meme'd by This Is Crochet. I was a bit confused by the message but realized its a way to connect with other bloggers. I'm so late in blogging so please forgive me.

So this is how you do this:


"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
Working at Prudential, learning MS Access, and living home with Mom

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
Upload new products to Etsy shop
Try to figure out how to finish cooking lasagna during a heatwave.
Pack up my teacup swap for Tha Hotness
Start a new crochet project
Finish more cards

3) Snacks I enjoy:
Chips, pretzels, fruit, don't laugh...toast with butter

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Start a college fund for my daughter
Buy a house and car
Give family money
Give beau alittle dough for his side business
Establish a foundation for single moms who want to go to school or start their own businesses. Not based on income but ability to work hard.
And spend the rest of my life working for myself being artistic. (singing, crocheting, painting, whatever I feel like on a day to day)

5) Places I have lived:
New Jersey --- Jersey Girl my whole life --- Newark, East Orange, Irvington, and Wayne (for college)

6) Jobs I have had:
Assistant, System Analyst, Web Administrator, Office Manager

7) Bloggers I am tagging who you will enjoy getting to know better:
Tha Hotness
Martha Is My Homegirl!
The Sunday Night Poop
Fashion Mista
What's Cooking, Z?

These are bloggers I know who you'd love to know!

Etsy "Danielle" Finds

Handknit Danielle Scarf by MuddyRiverGirl

Danielle in Red (my favorite color) by sraige

The Danielle Hat by StampnStitch

Danielle Hair Barrette Set by ShelleAnne