Sadie the Incredible Mermaid Girl: D.I.Y. Traveling Side Show Mermaid Baby Costume

This year was my baby girl's first halloween as a dress-up-able-human and it was imperative that she have the perfect first Halloween costume.  I had originally had my heart set on her being the bearded lady in a side show but when she wouldn't leave the beard on I decided to take advantage of the fact that she's not walking yet and put her in some sort of a sack costume which also meant that I would need to decorate her stroller...which naturally led me to make her the Incredible Mermaid Girl in a traveling side show!

I created her stroller cover using foam core as the fish tank frame; blue fabric, glitter tulle & clear plastic Christmas ornaments for the water; and foam core for the signage & held it all together using a glue gun.  I attached the whole contraption to the stroller (a Britax B-agile) using Velcro Garland Tie and all that was missing was a fat little mermaid to go inside.

Enter one fat little mermaid.  

I have a tutorial on how to make the shell top for the costume here 

& the mermaid tail tutorial is in the works!  

I'd love to see pictures of your home-made Halloween costumes.  Happy Be-lated Halloween!!

Christmas here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Minute NO-SEW D.I.Y. Costume: Mini Hula Girl

Here's a last minute NO-SEW costume idea for you or your little one: 

What you'll need

• a green plastic tablecloth
• scissors
• glue gun/glue sticks
• string/rope/twine
• fringe (optional)
• hawaiian flower for hair clip (optional)
• shirt or onesie
• felt for shells
• blue marker

1. Open your tablecloth and cut it down to fit lengthwise around your waist and so that it's long enough to just graze the knee.  

2. Keep it folded over and begin cutting it into fringe.

3. Once the fringe is cut grab your rope and fringe if you have some laying around.  I had this awesome piece of white fringe/tassles leftover from an old project.

4. Hot glue your twine onto the skirt at the fold and let dry.  Flip skirt over- hot glue the fringe to the front.

Your skirt is done.

Now for the shirt.

I'm using this off-white onesie for my daughter's costume.  It has a design on it but it should be covered by the shells so don't worry about it.  I'm also using left-over felt from her mermaid costume to be green and save a buck.

  1. Lay the felt scraps over the design to figure out where the shells will go.  Draw the shells directly onto the felt.

2. Cut out the shells and define them using any permanent marker.  I like this blue but you can use any color.  

3. Hot glue the shells onto the shirt.

Aaaaaand you're done!

Now slip the costume onto your little model and try desperately to get her to look at you.  

Good luck and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Day 2: Recycled Crafts for Kids

Teaching kids at a young age what it means to reduce-reuse-and-recycle is always something taught in school but to really drive the point home, it's important to incorporate those things into real life.  Here are a couple of great crafts to do with kids to show them ways to recycle bottles into something fun and  useful.  

Ages 9+: Ashley over at Make-It-&-Love-It made this awesome cell phone caddy out of a lotion bottle.  This craft would be great for older kids, especially those just getting their first cell phones or iPods.

Ages 5+: This awesome bowling set made by CreativeDish would be perfect for kids old enough to wield a glue gun and is a great way to keep 10 bottles out of a landfill!

Ages2+: And finally, check out this "lava lamp" made by Rainbows & Unicorns (great name by the way!) made with a plastic bottle, oil, water, food coloring and complete with sea creatures!  This is a wonderful project for little ones- also consider throwing in some glitter or sequins!

Happy Friday!!!

Day 8: If it's yellow...

Today's helpful hint couldn't be easier:

If it's yellow, let it mellow.

If it's brown, flush it down.

Following in the footsteps of Day 9...it's all about conserving resources and not being wasteful.  So, in your house, when you use the bathroom, it it's yellow why not save a flush and wait 'til next time.

Another solution is to fill a couple of 20 oz. plastic bottles with water and sink them into your tank.  The bottle takes up area that would normally be refilled with water meaning that less water is used each time you flush.

Or do both and be a real hero!

For more information on conserving water go here.

Before & After: the Painting Process

Makeover shows, be them human or residential, are a major weakness of mine.  Mostly because I love a good before-and-after picture.  I love seeing a neglected little kitchen in Iowa that hasn't been updated since Reagan was in office be turned into a gormet cookery fit for the White House.  It's so satisfying to see the design come to life and the before-and-after shot at the end is what makes it all come together.

The same is true for paintings.  Whenever I'm asked to do a custom painting I always start with a sketch to make sure the customer and I are on the same page.  Once the drawing is approved, I get 'er painted up and no many how many times I go through the process I still love seeing the before and after shot at the end.    

For instance, you can go from hand-colored sketch to nice looking piece of art (if I do say so myself):

From an idea in a notebook to a wall-sized triptych that is now the highlight of Lil' Dillon's room.  

From a basic scribble to a full-blown stadium.

From outline to outstanding....ya, I just said that.  

Click HERE to see more before-and-afters.  

And feel free to email me if you have an idea for a painting...or if you just want to talk about muffins. 

Think Snow!!

I know a lot of people are celebrating our snowless Winter here in New England but I'm not one of them.  I'm more of a hot chocolate under a blanket watching it snow outside kind of a girl.  Seriously!  Where's the snow?  It's January 8th and there's NO SNOW!!

Consider this a snow dance.  

And for those of you happy for this season free of glittery white flakes falling slowly to Earth and landing delicately on the eyelash of a kitten (you monsters!), I'll happily take the blame if it actually snows.  (FINGERS CROSSED!!)

Idea for Frosty @ the beach by Kristin Reed.  Thanks Kristin!

The USS Harlan Richardson Moore

I just finished this painting for a little boy named Harlan to hang in his nursery.  Harlan has a big brother named Lucian, you may remember his monkey pirate ship painting from last year.  

Here are some more pictures of the painting or go check out the slideshow.

The Cuddle Distrobution gauge is set to Mom.

While the Father Figure dial is clearly reading Dad.

(In real life Harlan's dad has a much larger anchor tattooed on his chest.)  

A tender little crab.

Harlan's name is the ship's namesake.

And his date and time of birth are represented in the gauges below:

This worm obviously hasn't been informed about why he's at the end of a fishing line wrapped around a hook.  Ah, sweet ignorance. 

Contact me if you'd like to order a custom painting or for pricing. 

Thanks for looking!

National Seafood Bisque Day

October 19th is National Seafood Bisque Day and today is October 19th!! 

Happy National Seafood Bisque Day!!

Here is a recipe for Seafood Bisque:

Shrimp Bisque

2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• Recipe categories: Flour, Shellfish, Shrimp, Vegetables, Tomato, 
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Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
• 4 cups seafood stock
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (3 leeks)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock. Add enough water to make 3 3/4 cups.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the leeks are tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cayenne pepper and shrimp and cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Cognac and cook for 1 minute, then the sherry and cook for 3 minutes longer. Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until coarsely pureed.

In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the half-and-half and cook, stirring with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and heat gently until hot but not boiling. Season, to taste, and serve hot.

* Shellfish

Warning: Consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish may substantially increase the risk of foodborne illness.

Being a Good Hostess: Hurricane Edition

In preparation for our upcoming Category 3 (already downgraded to 2 and on her way to plain ol' "Tropical Storm" status) visitor this weekend I thought I'd gather some tips on how to be a good hurricane hostess.  

When entertaining out-of-town visitors it's always nice to label items and make directional signs to avoid confusion.   Above is a piece of drift wood I painted to show Irene how to get to the beach to help her find her way.  

It's important when hosting natural disasters to have plenty of activities for your guests.  Below is a pail I've set out that Irene can throw through my window and some treasure she might also want to roll around in while she's there.

As anyone who's ever been to a gathering knows, refreshments are key!  Here I've made our guest a margarita to enjoy while on her rampage, a girl does get thirsty!  And I've laid out guest towels and an umbrella to hurl across our great state.

With any social gathering it is important to keep in mind who you're inviting to ensure an easy going atmosphere and great conversation.  My guest list for this party will include the Crab Brothers, for their shared interested in rolling around in treasure,

and some mermaids from down the shore who are reminding me of another tip: if you are an invited guest it is always a good idea to bring a gift to your host.  Sandra has decided to bring a giant clam, always a hit!, and Kendra brought a Starfish.  What's nice about these gifts is that they're local, unassuming and they fit the theme.  Great job ladies!

Welcome Irene, may your trip be short and sweet and I really hope you don't throw a pail through my window.  Happy Hurricane-ing, stay safe!

Multi Cultural Mermaids

 New mermaidens in my shop.    

 Mermaids can be painted to resemble anyone.  Email me with some specifics and we'll get started.

Lobsta Shack

Fonzie (pictured below) & I painted this piece of found wood for a customer with a thick Boston accent and a collection of washed ashore buoys to hang on his shed.  It's been painted, distressed and left un-sealed to allow the sign to weather naturally in the hot New England Summer sun. 

How anyone gets anything done without Fonzie's help is beyond me.  Here he is double checking my letter spacing.  What would I do without him?

Shark Bait, Hoo Ha Ha!

Some happy Tiki masks welcome in Summer on the new window in the EU.

You can almost smell the sweet fragrance of Hibiscus over the foul aroma of industrial strength cleaner and bed pans.

Almost.

These masks definitely remind me of the initiation scene from Finding Nemo:

Shark Bait, Hoo ha ha!!

See the rest of my window paintings here.

New stuff in my Etsy shop!

Ok, the wedding's over and I'm back from the honeymoon.  Time to get back to work...after I catch up on horribly addicting reality TV shows of course.  I mean, have you even seen Ice Loves Coco?  Amazing.

But I digress...

These little guys were just added to my Etsy shop.  Go check 'em out!

Let me know if you want something special painted.  I love custom orders!

Love That Dirty Water!

This month's window painting was done in honor of my Big Sister and my BFF who are coming to visit me this weekend from Colorado!  Even though I'm probably not going to drag them to the Emergency Room to see it I was just too excited about them coming to paint anything else.  

The painting is hosted by a big red lobster and includes the 3 major sports teams currently in season.  (Sorry Pat's fans...maybe you'll get some love in November.)

 (UPDATE: The Celtics are out of the playoffs...daaaaangit!!)

Here's a home-run from Fenway park...

A shot of the garden, home to the Celtics and Bruins, with the newly built Zakim Bridge going over Boston's infamous "dirty water" the Charles River.  There's a little duck boat in there too.  If you've never been on a duck boat it's just one of those things you have to do when you're in Boston...I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

And a card carrying member of Red Sox Nation high up in the seats atop the Green Monster.

Welcome back to Boston Missy & Gina!!  I love you!!!

Foxy Cleopatra Mermaid!!

Jen in Connecticut asked me to paint the coolest mermaid to date:

"A mermaid version of Beyonce's character in Austin Powers"

Holy Crap!

 She also got a little red headed friend hugging a star fish:

 Detail of Foxy's chubby tummy & tail:

Have a great idea for a mermaid?  Let me know!

Peach at the Beach!

Another custom painting for a very energetic, easy-excitable, super creative customer, which happens to be my favorite kind!

This young lady wanted a peach sunbathing on a beach...under an umbrella...in New England...with a banner that said so...and a sand dollar that says 'Jean' in one corner...and a star fish  that says 'Garvstar' in the other.  I like a woman who knows what she wants...and here it is!

  Painted around the edges for frame-less hanging:

Detail:

One of my long standing favorite things has always been sexy fruit (what? that's totally normal) so I was super excited to have been asked to make this painting and am now way too excited to get started on other sexy fruit!  Like Sexy Kiwi, Sexy Strawberries, Sexy Watermelons!!  I can't wait!  

Hayden the Mermaid

New mermaid painting for Hayden, she's

"turning 3 and looooooves mermaids", I'm told. 

6x12" Canvas.

Detail:

Get your's here.

Wish Upon a Star Fish!

This very special pail was painted for Katie to match

the paintings she found for her house in Cape Cod, MA.  

She loves the other paintings but said they needed "something else."  

Here they are as a set-  I think they'll be right at home "down the Cape", as the locals say.

New Window!!

This puppy totally heisted the blow-up pool from the kids and he's not even considering feeling guilty about it!  And I can't say that I blame him!

Come by and see it if you're in the neighborhood!

It's Done!!!!

Lucian's 'mural' is done! It took me a million hours and I had to sacrifice my social calendar but it was worth it cause it's done and, if I do say so myself, it's awesome!! Here are some close ups:

The Cap'n and his mighty sidekick, Sqwak.

His first mates, Wayne and Garth.

Lucian's name and date of birth banner.

Yah'll come back now, y'hear?!