Thea's Soapbox

Nonsensical Links Friday

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

The January 27th, 2012 edition.

So a little while back I caught this on TV

I was up super late like usual and was just flipping the channels and saw that. It was so unexpected that I had to tape it.
Last night I came across a channel that was playing music videos back to back without commercials that I actually stopped and watched all the videos. Some even sucked and one was by the Gin Blossoms & I hate them. Oh how I miss old MTV. But one of the first videos that I saw last night was this:

My son used to blast it all the time. I had never seen the video before last night.
What a trip.

Not a whole lot of nonsense this week. Many wholesale orders went out this week so those of you who shop at my stockists be sure to swing by to check them out!

Sweet Something Kanzashi - By Thea Starr

Have a happy Friday peeps!
~Thea

A feathered affair

2012-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

A Peacock Affair - Formal Kanzashi by Thea Starr

Birds of a Feather - Kanzashi Hair Clip by Thea Starr

A couple new pieces I added to my Etsy shop of the feathery nature. I know they aren't for everyone but I couldn't resist. Let me know what you think.

xo-Thea

Buh Bye Winter Blast

2012-01-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

As I write that I am sure I am summoning another one. I hope not.
Here's a few pictures of what went on:

19/1/2012 - A tree in my yard covered with snow & ice.

19/1/2012 - Snow ice on leaf.

19/1/2012 - Ice leaf!

My kids were out of school last week. Our power was off and on so many board games were played.

Scrabble Time

And much time wallowing in the snow.

All is fair in snowball fights.

Many of our neighbors had their generators running. At one point our neighborhood sounded like a lawnmower orchestra. But we don't have one. We have two fireplaces. One that is more for decorative purposes and the other is an old fashioned wood burning stove that heats up the whole house.

We also have a gas range & gas water heater so we weren't struggling.

A proper fireplace

Its nice to unplug for a bit but yesterday I was anxious to get busy working again.
I apologize for the delayed email replies, hopefully the pictures above can let you know why.
For those of you who are all about kimono fabric. I am listing new items over at my Hapa House Arts Shop:

Vintage Shibori Silk Fabric - Hapa House Arts on Etsy

Local friends I hope you managed the winter blast well and the ice is melting away.
xo- Thea

Out in the Boonies

2012-01-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

The past couple days our power, phones & internet have been in an out.
So I've just been enjoying life out here in the boonies.

Once my camera battery has recharged I'll post pictures of our "winter blast".

Currently though, I have one of my favorite songs stuck in my head:

I haven't listened to it in a while. It always makes me smile because it reminds me of my dad. xo-Thea

Another Snow Day

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

We've had back to back snow days.

17/1/2012

Snow dumped down from the sky yesterday. Seriously.

My kids have been totally enjoying the back to back snow days.
Especially since we have back to back birthdays.
Today is my baby boy's 13th birthday!

My youngest son & I 17/1/2012

I have a 3rd teenager in the house now. What's worse 3 toddlers at once or 3 teenagers? I'll have to report back on that one.

We'll be piggin' out at home today on my boy's favorite foods and doing other stuff. His big gift was a cell phone. 13 is our family's age for a phone. Call me an old fuddy duddy but that's my rule.

I hope my fellow Western Washingtonian's are keeping warm & occupied during our little snow flurries.

Happy January 18th!

xo-Thea mom of teenagers.

Baby Snow Girl

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Today my youngest child, my baby snow girl turns 10.
10!

My youngest daughter in her mismatched hand me down snow clothes yesterday.

I officially have all "older" kids. I think I've entered a new realm of parenting now.

We'll be celebrating here at home today since its a holiday and it snowed quite a bit yesterday.

15/1/2012 Snow

My crazy snow ball catching dog.

My little blonde "Thea" was born in the afternoon after a long laborious labor. I'm glad I finally kicked her out she's pretty awesome. Even though she pegged me in the head today with a snowball. :)

Happy Baby Snow Girl Monday!

Thea the Mom.

Shop Update

2012-01-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

Subtle Lines Brooch

Vintage Citrus Hair Clip

Big Blossom Formal Kanzashi Hair Pin

I updated my Etsy shop with a couple new items.
I only had one link so no nonsensical links this week. But I'll share what I got:

I wish I lived in a crazy big house and could discover stuff like this:

Can you imagine!?!

Happy Friday the 13th!

The In Between Projects

2012-01-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

January for me is busy, but not. 50% of my household has birthdays next week. Yep, 3 people all in one week. But on the flip side post holiday things have slowed down so I am able to work on other projects I have. This is currently in my lap as I type:

A shirt that I've been wanting to embellish.

Embellish it with yo-yo's to be exact.

Also since we've had a very mild winter thus far I am going to do some yard work to prepare for spring.

My new rain boots! Kamik Rain Boots

This tree stump is surrounded by mushrooms.

Yesterday on Handmade Rain they address how some EtsyRain crafters deal with the post holiday blues.

Are my crafty pals up to right now...? Resting? Amping up for spring? Diversion crafting like me?

Well, if you're up to no good I won't tell on ya. ^_^

xo-Thea

Wedding Kanzashi

2012-01-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I mentioned my friend Natalie got married. In that post I had a few pictures listed that I took personally. Over the weekend Natalie received the photographer's photos!

Custom Kanzashi & peacock feather bouquet.

Bridal party!

It was such a lovely wedding, I am tickled to see a few pictures still now. I am always thankful for my wedding customers who share their special day photos with me! The pictures are always great.

I wanted to start Monday off on a happy note.
Happy Monday!
xo-Thea

Nonsensical Links Friday

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

The January 6th, 2012 edition:

I love LOVE this:

Kodachrome collection looks back a mid century America via CNN

Gorgeous old pictures. Kodachrommmme...

I'm a long time Canon Camera girl though. They are my favorite brand of camera. I used my dad's 35mm Canon in high school when I took photography. I snapped this memorable picture of one my best friends:

1993

Ahhh high school photography class was great. You got to wander about taking pictures and got to process the film. Good stuff.

This is good stuff too:

Kaffe Fusion Blanket via Sewing Daisies.

I am beginner crocheter or "hooker". At this point I really prefer knitting. There are many great tutorials out there though like this one:

So there might be crochet hope for me yet.

Enjoy the first Friday of the year friends!

xo-Thea

p.s. The cutie hanging from the tree above crocheted this set for me. See still friends even after embarrassing pictures on the internet.

Making Stuff-

2012-01-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

I have been on a roll in regards to catching up to little sewing projects that have been waiting patiently for me.
Mending kid's clothes, my clothes, sewing new table linens and the beginnings of a quilt.
I love, love, *love* to sew!

It feels good to lessen the pile for the things to mend.

Today over at The Grey Area Mom - find out how you can re-grow green onions. They come in handy for nacho night ^_^

xo-Thea

Speculoos - The Mystery Cookie

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Speculoos seemed to be this legendary treat that my husband's beloved late Grandmother used to make. (My husband's family is from Belgium)

They have always been a mystery to me as they come up in family talks now and then. I also seem to remember a few renditions of Grandma's recipe over the years but apparently they weren't like Grandma's.
Upon reading the Wikipedia description I read this sentence: "In the United States, New Zealand and Australia, speculaas are often sold as Dutch Windmill cookies."
Well, growing up in a heavily dutch influenced town I definitely had the Dutch Windmill Cookies . So that eased my curiosity a bit. But as with any store bought vs. homemade foods debate. Homemade tends to win hands down. So even though I have had the commercially made Speculoos I still seek a recipe that could come close to Grandma's and less like the commercially made ones.

A friend of mine who is a professional baker posted a picture of some homemade ice cream flavored with Speculoos Cookie Butter. It instantly caught my attention.

#1 Cookie Butter!!!! There IS such a thing!
#2 Speculoos!?!?!?
#3 Hot damn she's brilliant for putting that in ice cream!

I found out that the jar of wonderfulness was available at Trader Joe's. So pretty much within the hour my husband & I set out to go get it.

Speculoos Cookie Butter available @ Trader Joe's

After attaining the cookie butter and avoiding actually reading the ingredients (the words cookie butter should alert you to potential a fatassness factor - why bother reading the ingredients?), much to our delight it does taste pretty good! Of course its still not like grandma's Speculoos cookies but its pretty awesome over hot pancakes! Speculoos tastes like a gingerbread cookie but more awesome.

We are tickled to come across this jar of yum and I happened to find a blog that I like in process of Googling to see what others thought about the stuff. Club Trader Joe's reviews Trader Joe's food & wine products. Here's his review of Speculoos Cookie Butter. If you are a Trader Joe's fan be sure to check out his blog.

Have an awesome day! I know I will because I'm spreading some Speculoos Cookie Butter on my pancakes this morning :)

xo-Thea

Welcome 2012

2012-01-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

2009 is Fine
2010 Bring Me Zen
Thank Heaven For 2011

2012...I can't think of anything that rhymes with 12 right off the bat but is will be the Year of the Dragon when the Lunar New Year happens. Oh wait- Delve into 2012? Meh...

So I hope you all have a had a great start to the New Year so far. I've actually had a burst of creativity on useless things like my table linens, but hey, I'll take it. I also caught my favorite Twilight Zone Episode:

I went home today to visit my mom and to quietly appreciate my father's life- today would've been his 79th birthday.

Deception Pass- Whidbey Island, WA

My two eldest children were very close to him so they never fail to acknowledge special dates in regards to him. My dad was a pretty awesome guy but I am 1000% biased.

An old farmhouse on North Whidbey Island - Oak Harbor

I don't the New Year's resolutions type of thing but my time is limited with my eldest daughter before she is heading to college. I feel like I am having out of body experiences when I have to do college talk and pay for tests for her to take so she can get into college. Its so surreal. So like this article mentions, "I wish I didn't work so hard." Which translates into spending more time with my people and letting some work stuff "go". I need to spend time with my kid before she's a grown up so in turn a little change will occur - mainly limited amounts of custom orders.

Okay enough mushy stuff, I'll get back atcha' in a day or two!
xo-Thea

2011's Last Words & 2012's First Words

2011-12-31T12:43:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you know that I am a huge Bruce Lee fan.
Not only do I love his movies and have great memories watching them with friends. But I've always thought of him as a very intelligent person.

This has always been my favorite quote to say to people:

It holds true for everything in life.
"Water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."- Bruce Lee

I'm not too old in the grand scheme of things but I have lived a very full/crazy/stressed/fun/quirky life so far and there has been nothing said that is so true. Be flexible, be open and crash and flow as needed.

Happy New Year!

Nonsensical Links Friday

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

The December 30th, 2011 Edition.

So what are you doing New Years Eve???

I plan on indulging in The Twilight Zone Marathon on SyFy. Eye of The Beholder is "our" episode.

Did you know Rod Serling was born on Christmas. So that makes me, Rod & Jesus that share a crappy birthdate.

I always wished my birthday was December 31st - a day with a built in party.

Did you know that in the United State next to February 29th December 25th is the least common birthday. My mom apparently missed the memo on that one. ALSO my brother's birthday is December 26th. Something to always give my mom crap about. :)

Jelly beans!

A bit more sad news this week. Another great local business is going out of business.

Paper Zone a long time favorite of mine is currently liquidating all of their merchandise and fixtures. Many -myself included is very sad to see them go. A great resource will be lost for sure.
Let's hope for many good things to come that will out weigh the bad.

Enjoy the last Friday of 2011 friends!
Thea

Birthday

2011-12-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

I had another one on what happened to be what a lot of people call Christmas Day. It was very nice actually.

My youngest daughter's Happy B-day Lite Brite style.

We had family in town and mostly hung out and ate till we were about to burst.
The family had a Christmas Eve brunch which was a lot of fun.

My father in law makes the best potato-anything.

I didn't snag a picture of our Uncle's amazing halibut-bacon cakes which he served with a spicy cream-mayonnaise like sauce. They were as awesome as they sound.

Since we have a large extended family I like to bring a small something for everyone. This year was the gift of homemade lip balm.

Homemade Lip Balm in reusable containers.

We even had a little movie night with our favorite family friends.

I had no idea there was a 80's John Cusack film that I've been missing out on. My dear friend remedied that after a big round of "What!?!??! You haven't seen that movie!?!?!?!" Now I am in the cool kid's club and have been constantly quoting Better Off Dead.

Good stuff all around as you might guess from this picture:

Birthday President Thea

I hope you all had a chance to connect with family and friends over these past few days. Family and good friends is all you need. As I age I appreciate that sentiment more and more.

-Thea

Camaro Harem Skater's Tragic Loss

2011-12-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

An extremely unfortunate freak accident happened to one of my teammates this past Christmas Day that took the life of her 9 year old daughter and broke her husband's neck on Whidbey Island.
You can read the heart breaking details:
via The Seattle Times,
via KOMO News,
& via The Examiner.

My team has set up a fundraising page for the family (The husband is a self employed metal artist who will have a very long recovery and two older daughters to support.) Its just a tragic thing to happen. As a mother, my heart just aches.

Please pass this post along.

Thank you so much. - Thea

Nonsensical Links - Wednesday?

2011-12-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

The December 21st, 2011 edition:
Hey it's my birthday week I'll do what I want.

I am a big fan of Charles Dickens writings. Aside from great books here's six things he gave to the modern world.

These are two of my favorites of his.

I think Charles Dickens would've liked this story:

There is hope for some people after all. :)

I made these two days ago. They were okay. I have organic sugar which is probably isn't the best for this recipe. Mine turned out a bit flatter than ones I've made before. They tasted great but something was a bit off.

The F' it gingerbread house design - By Thea & her kids

I've spent the past two days baking.

Seriously. I've been making breads & cookies & other fatty stuff that will make me fat for the past two days. Its been pretty great but as you can see by the picture above and the one below we've collectively given up how pretty stuff is. Including us.

My daughter Jina & I baking oatmeal scotchies cookies.

But we've been enjoying our little break so far! I hope you are all too.

Unfortunately, a quickie homemade gift project video I filmed with a friend didn't upload the other day so hopefully I'll have that good to go tomorrow. :)

Happy Wednesday!

xo-Thea

Presidential

2011-12-20T00:55:00.000-08:00

As in Presidential Birthday Week!
How sad is it after a certain age you try to dig up exciting things to associate with your age?
I mean after 21 there's not much to get excited about.
Oooh 25! My insurance rates go down!
30 - Yay, I'll start shrinking starting this decade! Woo!

Well, friends this Sunday I will old enough to run for President. Not that I would but hey I do like to keep my options open.

To help celebrate the occasion and help out those last minute gift givers I'm doling out a coupon for my Etsy Shop for 35% off your entire purchase.
ENTER COUPON CODE:

PresidentStarr (no spaces)

And snag up something cute for someone cute or for yourself. Offer good from 12/20 to 12/26

^_^

xo-Thea

Nonsensical Links Friday

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

The December 16th, 2011 Edition.

Ever since TSwift noted that she likes to make homemade snow globes, I feel like I've been seeing them way over priced everywhere. Folks, just finish off a jar of pickles and get creative with that.

I decided to re-watch Mad Men it its entirety. I never noticed Flo from Progressive was in it.

This was a endearing little read about life.

Have you seen Marcel the Shell?
A friend of mine posted about it on Facebook and its just so adorable!

--
For my local friends- I won't be at any shows this weekend. I am still shipping daily via Priority Mail. Although I can't guarantee it but the chances are good for delivery before Christmas.

Available in my Etsy Shop

That's all I have for this morning. I've been busy whipping up some special handmade gifts for people. How are you guys hanging in there? Okay I hope. ^_^

Have a great Friday!
xo-Thea

Recipe - Butternut & Kabocha Squash Soup

2011-12-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

So I'm gonna be honest. I've had some realllllly bad versions of this soup.
I had one that had cream in it (unbeknownst to me - me a lactose intolerant gal). I also had a boxed kind that had chicken stock in it which was just *meh*. Since I love winter squash so much I really wanted to like this soup. I figured it couldn't be hard to make and I was right.

Butternut & Kabocha Squash Soup

Things you need:

1 Medium sized Butternut Squash
1 Medium sized Kabocha Squash (apparently if you let it hang out and age in your kitchen for 2 weeks it sweetens the squash.)
A Splash of Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
2-4 Tablespoons of Butter
Water (Just how much we'll get to that...)

First things first- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your squash by cutting them in half, remove the seeds and set onto a cookie sheet. (I did line my cookie sheet with aluminum foil to save clean up time.) Drizzle with a tiny splash of olive oil and roast until tender. I left mine in for an hour.

Once they are fork tender pop them out and let them cool a bit.
Grab your blender or food processor if you're feeling fancy.
Once the squash is cool enough to touch grab a spoon (I actually have a large spork-like utensil which works great!) and scoop out the "meat" and place it into your blender.

After you've got all the squash meat into your blender you'll want to add the water which is basically double the volume of the squash meat. Puree for a minute or a few seconds if you've got a great blender.

Add the puree/soup to a pot, cook over medium heat for 10-20 minutes so it reduces just a smidgen.

Add salt & pepper to taste and butter if you like it silky smooth.
NO sugar necessary! It will be sweet enough but not overly.

So delicious! I almost ate the entire batch myself.

So simple & easy!

Enjoy!

xo-Thea

More recipes are available here:

http://theas_soapbox.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

Local Last Minute Gift Guide Round Up

2011-12-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

This week and next tends to be a time where many head out to the stores to pick up any last minute gifts. Or if you're like my husband - you've just begun to shop.

Why not make it easy on yourself and shop local? Shipping would most likely be quick, you'd be avoiding long lines at the stores and you'd be supporting a small local business.

Let me give you some ideas.
A little something for everyone-
I discovered Pepperjack Home at Urban Craft Uprising. They were my neighbors at the show.

They're based out of Arlington (Northern Snohomish County) and they have a wide array of home products. Everything from reusable snack bags, cotton washcloths, laundry soaps, reusable dryer sheets and more.
I picked up some dryer balls. I've been wanting to try some out. I have to say I love mine!

Dryer Balls from Pepperjack Home

For someone who is making the change to a greener lifestyle definitely check out their website and or their Etsy store.
--
Have a sweet tooth on your list? Well, definitely check out Sweet Coconut Bakery.

Sweet Coconut Bakery's table at EtsyRain's Handmade Holiday Show

Based in Seattle - Hazel's sweet treats are delicious! We were vendors at two shows together and I treated myself to her goods at both. Cookies, Filipino sweets (polvorones are my favorite!) and so much more. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop. It's okay if you get yourself a "gift" too.
--

For the wee ones in your life:
World of Whimm and NueToMe both amazing shops with one amazing Everett based designer at the helm. World of Whimm offers imaginative costumes, masks & capes for kids. NueToMe offers more costumes, clothes and play food created from recycled t shirts. I just adore everything she makes!

A snapshot of her display rack at the EtsyRain Handmade Holiday show.

--
For the cook or host/hostess-
Annie Two Braids Designs is based out of Seattle and creates clean and sometimes silly etched glasses, jars and other containers for the home.

Photo By Annie Two Braids Designs

Wonderful reusable containers and a wonderful girl behind the products!
--

Other honorable mentions:
For the shoe lover - Strut in the Greenwood/Phinney Ridge area. Shoes, socks, accessories & an attractive shop owner to boot. I adore her so I am biased.

For your fashionable lady - The Frock Shop (Seek out the glam.spoon line - glam.spoon uses vintage fabrics and upcycles them into awesome creations!!!)

For your fashionable man - Momo - in the International District actually offers a bit of everything for him and her. But the men's section there is quite nice, Button up shirts, tees and hats.

For something that sparkles-
Elizabeth Space - Seattle local who makes wonderfully classy jewelry. I love the earrings I bought from her.
GlassElements - Another Seattle local who makes the most colorful jewelry with glass components. I drool every time I see her work - the colors are so vivid!

And bit of everything else:
Loran Scruggs - I believe is based out of Port Townsend makes the most creative whistles and toys from recycled bottlecaps and tins. Her work is amazing- please just go have a look.

All things Rockabilly, Vintage and Kitsch - my friend Sassy has a great eye and collection to share in her Etsy Shop. - She's local to Edmonds.

Know someone who likes to write? Sydney Designs based in South King County creates the most wonderful cards from vintage wall paper. What a great use for vintage wallpaper right? Each card is unique.

One of my personal favorites is Amanda Kindregan - is based "out in the sticks" of Seattle's Eastside near me. She creates the most whimsical art that reminds me of the art in books from my childhood. I love to just admire her work. One of her pieces hangs predominately in my family room.

I hope I've helped someone out with those last minute gifts yet to get.
Shop local & handmade!

xo-Thea

New Today on Ye Olde Etsy Shop

2011-12-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

I tried to make it fancy sounding for ya.

I've tossed up a few new things today:

With a few more on the way. I'm trying my best to stay on top of orders. I'm shipping daily, Monday through Saturday until the 23rd (which is a Friday). Upgraded shipping is available too.

On the domestic front its been pretty busy. Winter concerts & events.

I'm cranking out handmade gifts for friends, family & neighbors. I have a great video on a great handmade gift idea that I hope to upload later today.

I hope you all are managing the holiday chaos well. I intend to win it. :)

Happy Monday!

Thea

P.S. No great recipe post but I made one of my most favorite dishes last night - Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. If are a hearty stew lover you have to give it a go. It's simply divine!

Urban Craft Uprising in review - the slideshow edition.

2011-12-07T20:48:00.001-08:00

Again forgive my silence here in my corner of the internet.

These past few weeks have been busy, fun, fattening and exhausting. There's definitely no complaints though.

I have to say that out of all the things I enjoy about my job, craft shows are at the very tippy top. Working from home and having a secluded studio space provides awesome solitude to focus on my work, but it doesn't allow much of an opportunity to interact with customers and "colleagues" as I like to call my fellow crafters.

I do believe I received a very healthy dose this past weekend to remedy any seclusion issues I may have had.
Over 10,000 people shopped at Urban Craft Uprising. This was the first time the show rented out the entire Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. The turn out was simply phenomenal. As a vendor that made me very giddy to see so much of the community supporting the event. As a lover of things handmade it made my heart grow three sizes. After hanging up my abacus and deciding to find a more meaningful job I have fallen in love many times with crafters, shows and the customers. It is truly an amazing feeling to be apart of the handmade movement. Okay- I'm heading towards the drum circle so without further ado here's a slideshow of the show:

Please visit the amazing list of vendors that participated in the show:

Urban Craft Uprising Winter 2011 Show

(I know I will I didn't get to check everyone out because it was so crowded at times.)

Thanks to the amazing curators and volunteers who are just simply awesome to put forth so much effort for this big show. And again to the wonderful supporters who attended. THANK YOU!

UCU Panorama

2011-12-05T23:13:00.001-08:00

UCU Panorama, originally uploaded by thea superstarr.

Hello! I've been pretty quiet the past few days. From looking at the picture you can probably guess why.

Over 10,000 awesome attendees came out to Urban Craft Uprising this past weekend.

I'll do a full rundown on the show later this week.

Today was my eldest son's 15th birthday. He celebrated by playing his new game (Skyrim) and having a nice family dinner together.
I hope you all had a great weekend!
Thea