Latest Entries
Exchange Program – Coffee Bag Apron
Jane from Maiden Jane created this super fantastic apron from the burlap coffee bag/coffee sack she received from us through the Exchange Program via Totally Tutorials. I think it’s marvelous and of course, it’s wonderfully useful to boot!
This project is exceptional for sewers and Jane’s very detailed step by step tutorial with exceptional pictures makes it easy for beginning sewers also. These bags are pretty big, so Jane was able to make two aprons from one bag…NICE!
I think her husband makes a great apron model…don’t you? He looks mighty ready for some serious BBQ…
Exchange Program – Burlap Bulletin Board
Wearforartthou made this fantastic bulletin board from her burlap coffee bag. Isn’t it awesome? Look closely and you’ll see the border is a border of coffee beans! See those 6 thumb tacks? Yep, coffee beans!
She and her cute little helper did an awesome job recycling this burlap coffee bag into something useful and beautiful, don’t you think?
Head over and check out Wearforartthou’s detailed tutorial (I love the title of her tutorial!) – you’ll be surprised how easy and fun this project was.
Thanks to Dotty at Totally Tutorials for heading up this exchange program!
Time to Go Home…
I must admit I cannot fully understand the psychology behind capturing and exploiting one of the most majestic, intelligent, largest and certainly one of the most social animals on our Earth. Killer whales, or orcas, are part of the dolphin family and are known to be intensely intelligent, needing constant stimulation and challenges and most will say, are rulers of the seas. They even develop different “cultures” depending on where they hunt and reside, resulting in different target preys, hunting techniques, dialects and passing on their knowledge and techniques to their young.
What gives humans the right to capture these splendid animals and take them from their natural ocean homes and whale pods and impose on them a life of tricks training for an audience’s pleasure and applause inside a POOL? Since when did orcas and dolphins care about applause? I can’t imagine the audacity and the arrogance…
The death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in Sea World was tragic and it brings to question once again…What happens when animals as intelligent and massive as orcas become frustrated, bored and under-stimulated in an unnatural habitat and environment?
I, for one, would love to see not just Tilikum, but all the other whales, eventually released back into their natural ocean home where they belong. I can only hope that a release can undo enough of the damage of decades of captivity so that they can live out the rest of their lives as close to normal as possible.
I’ve never been to a Sea World nor any other dolphin or whale show because knowing that they are in captivity saddens me immensely. Of course I would love to see them in person…but never in a pool for a performance.
Image via CNN
Exchange Program – RESULTS
photo credit: Patrick Hoesly
A big THANK YOU to all who responded here and on Etsy! The turnout was fantastic and I can’t wait to see what you guys do with these burlap coffee bags. With no further ado, here are the 3 lucky recipients and the bags they will receive:
Adrianna will receive:
Wearforartthou will receive:
Jane the Engineer will receive:
So what’s next? Adrianna, Wearforartthou and Jane the Engineer – please email me your address (via the contact page) so I can get these babies out to you! It looks like I will ship these guys out Wednesday rather than the original intended day of Tuesday. Therefore, the due date for the tutorials will also be shifted one day out to Wednesday (3.10.10).
As with all my shipments, I will send you guys a note once your package is dropped off. Let me know when it arrives and craft away!
For all other details, go to initial announcement.
Many thanks to Dotty at Totally Tutorials for this wonderful exchange.
Congrats, guys and have fun!
Guilty Pleasures
Image via The Dog Guide
Guilty pleasures – stuff you do that you won’t readily admit to due to impending embarrassment and ridicule, so you sneak it. You have some. You know it. I know it. I know you do because I know I do. I have a whole bunch. I want to lay them out – to act as a reality check so that list of guilty pleasures won’t grow so huge…won’t become the norm rather than the exception and implode upon itself. EGAD!
Reality TV – I am bucketing reality TV from TV in general because some shows or programs on TV are actually incredibly educational, inspirational and fun all at the same time. Planet Earth, anyone? That series is OUT OF THIS WORLD GOOD – visually, musically, acoustically, Sigourney Weaver does some wonderful narration and it’s absolutely educational! I even love the commercial for it – that music is so dramatic! Wait, does the commercial now count as a guilty pleasure? Ummm…I’m going to say no, because it’s for an educational series. This commercial to which I was addicted to, on the other hand…OOOkkkk now…anyway, back to reality TV…
I’m talking American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and Hell’s Kitchen. They’re all pretty much fodder with So You Think You Can Dance toeing the line to acceptable fodder – after all, the husband who is vehemently anti-reality TV has gotten sucked in for two seasons in a row and he sometimes tears from some of the more moving performances. Heh.
These shows don’t really teach me much, but yet they are on my DVR list and I watch them pretty faithfully. Hell’s Kitchen will be the first to go – although all that cursing and unnecessary drama gives me momentary glee – the contestants are not interesting enough.
Disclosure – Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmerman do not count – they are completely watchable and educational to boot. I want Bourdain’s eloquence, wit and honesty – Bourdain is Bourdain and that’s that. Moving on!
Spicy, spicy, hot, hot, HOT – When I was a young ‘un, the blood running through my veins was probably 10% blood and 90% hot sauce. Hot sauce, jalapenos, habaneros, pepper flakes, chili powder anything and everything spicy that would burn your mouth and render you numb and a red-faced slobbering, salivating blob – I’m down! Extra spicy everything and hot sauce on pizza, noodles, pasta, chicken, steak, fish, soup, ANYTHING! Crystal was my favorite, closely followed by anything that was spicy and garlicky.
After decades of abusing the spicy, my system has finally given me the big ole bird and basically no longer tolerates spicy of any ilk. I suffer and go through a roll of TP the next day while the husband shakes his head. Such is the price to pay. It all started when I “suffered” every other day or so and the husband pointed to the spicy. I said, “no fucking way!”. Then it got to the point where I experimented with a week of non-spicy (it was awful!) and my system calmed down and I didn’t pay the price that week. The realization dropped on me like a fat bird’s poop on freshly washed hair and my world fell apart!
Now, SOMETIMES, I can get away with it. If I do a mild spicy (mild for me) once on a weekend, my system might be fine with it. But nevertheless, I cheat only once in a rare while now and I never go as crazy spicy as I used to. Oy, the good ole days…
If you want to be my friend, do NOT put a bottle of Crystal in front of me, ever. Otherwise, my eyes will go wide and glaze over and I will enter the zombie spicy trance. Same for habanero stuffed olives. I am banned from the hot sauce aisle in the supermarket.
Bowls – I love bowls. We probably have too many bowls and don’t need more. But I want more. Any size or shape or material. Mixing bowls, cereal bowls, dessert bowls, square bowls, round bowls, pink bowls, blue bowls…you name it. My theory – they are the most versatile of all dishware. What can you NOT eat with a bowl? A bowl of cherries? Yep. A bowl of rice and beans? Sure thing. A bowl of leftover beef casserole? Ya. A bowl of rhubarb strawberry crumble? Yes, please. See what I mean?
Almond Joy & Whoppers- I don’t like chocolate at all. Not much of a sweet person, I’m definitely of the salty and crunchy ilk. I’ll take a bag of Doritos over a bar of chocolate or a BOWL of ice cream any day, every day. Everything changes with Almond Joy and Whoppers. I don’t even like coconut that much (except for coconut water) and I’m not a huge nut fan. But put coconut, almonds and chocolate together – magic happens. I grew up with Whoppers and the malt makes it all not too chocolate-y. Perhaps it’s a nostalgia thing. I have an Almond Joy in my bag right now.
Cats – I have always been a dog person. You should already know this if you read this blog! BUT…I will now admit that I do have a slight affinity for cats, but only cats with a dog personality. Say what? What the what? I like the independence of cats and their “I don’t give a fuck” attitude – they’re not needy and can take care of themselves, for the most part. However, their aloofness and attitude can sometimes give the person it owns an inferiority complex. That’s why I like doggie cats. Cats that are cats, but also gives a shit about you and wants to cuddle and play sometimes. If only I wasn’t so allergic…
McDonald’s Fries and Chicken McNuggets – I’ll take them morning, noon and night. I don’t know what’s in them nor do I really care when I’m chomping down in all that nasty goodness.
That’s all I have for now, lest this post should go on forever and through all eternity.
So…I know I’m not the only one…tell me one or two of your guilty pleasures and make me feel oh so not alone…
Exchange Program – Free Supplies for Tutorials
Dotty over at Totally Tutorials is heading up a fantastic Exchange Program between craft suppliers and crafters. The idea is pretty ingenious and of course, I jumped at the chance to participate! I have a wonderful assortment of authentic burlap coffee sacks or coffee bags in my Etsy shop and I’m dying to see what some of you creative artisans will come up with.
The possibilities are pretty much endless:
- Tote bags (very popular with my buyers)
- Messenger bags
- Lunch bags
- Storage buckets (great for toys, yarn, crafting supplies, stuff that tend to “get away”…you know what I mean!)
- Use as upholstery for chairs
- pillows
- pin cushions
- ottoman
- message board
- etc., etc., etc.
You get the gist, right? RIGHT!
Now – on to the juicy details you’re all dying to know! Yes, more bullets:
- 3 people will receive a FREE authentic burlap coffee sack or coffee bag from me. FREE for whatever crazy, crafty and off-the-wall ideas you can come up with and execute.
- Once you receive the coffee bag – go ahead and craft to your heart’s desire.
- You will create a tutorial detailing your creative process with photos and a link to the Donkee House Etsy shop.
- You will post your tutorial on one of the following (or all if you so wish): Craftster, Instructables, or CutOutandKeep AND your own blog or site.
Time for some Q & A:
Q – How do I apply for a FREE authentic coffee sack or coffee bag?
A – You can either convo me at Etsy or leave a comment here on this sweet blog of mine. Do one or the other, not both please 
Tell me what you would like to do with the coffee bag and what your biggest challenge is in your world of crafting.
Q – How long do I have to apply?
A – You have one week to apply. Submission begins TODAY, Monday – 2.15.10 and ends one week from now on Sunday – 2.21.10 @ midnight.
Q – How and when will the 3 receivers and Tutorial Creators be chosen?
A – I will choose the 3 Tutorial Creators based on submission answers on Monday – 2.22.10.
Q – How will I know that I’m chosen, or not?
A – If you are chosen as a Tutorial Creator, I will contact you via email, then make the announcement on this blog. So check your email on Monday and check in here too.
Q – How long do I have to make and post the tutorial?
A – You will have two weeks from the day I ship (Tuesday – 2.23.10) to create your tutorial, so due date will be Tuesday – 3.9.10). Life happens, that’s why you are given an ample of time so you won’t have to rush through anything. If you are done earlier, cool! Let me know when you are ready to post the tutorial!
Q – Um…how do I create a tutorial?
A – Head over to ArtMind – she’s got a wonderful tutorial on how to make a tutorial.
Q – When will you ship out the coffee bag so I can get my grubby hands on it?
A – I will ship out the coffee bags on Tuesday – 2.23.10. When you get it will depend on how friendly you are with your post(wo)man.
Q – Where else will my kick-ass tutorial show up besides my own blog or site, Craftster, Instructables or CutOutandKeep?
A – Your kick-ass tutorial will also show up here on Donkee House and Totally Tutorials. Your pics will also show up on my Etsy shop too! Show the world what you can do!
Q – So…what coffee bags are you giving to us?
A – First up is the coffee bag up above – Burlap Coffee Sack or Coffee Bag – Cafe S do Brasil
Second – Burlap Coffee Sack or Coffee Bag – African Blend
Third – Burlap Coffee Sack or Coffee Bag – Product of Colombia
My Right Eyeball is Falling Out…
I am resolutely convinced that my right eyeball will swell up to the size of a pink grapefruit, then gently pop out and roll down my face on to the nicely steamed hardwood floor to the other side of the living room in oh, about TEN MINUTES. I have a swollen tear duct and it’s about twice the size of the other tear duct in my other eye.
Nope, I don’t feel any pain nor irritation (wait, maybe I do…) and if you were to look at me right now, you most likely will not even notice it. Except that I will most assuredly point to my engorged right tear duct and say, “SEE? LOOK at that thing…it’s the size of MONTANA! It’s clouding my vision by the second and soon, my face will be engorged, I’ll be blind in one eye and doomed to the deep dark depths of hell. Because this SURELY is a sign of impending HELL, isn’t it? ISN’T IT?”
I am ALMOST accepting of the fact that I will become a one-eyed lunatic. It can’t be that horrible, right? After all, I have ANOTHER eye. ANOTHER eye that is almost blind at -6.00 prescription for my contact – singular. When I become a one-eyed lunatic, I’ll need an eye patch…what will I look like then?
Will I be bad-ass AND also like cute in a nurse’s uniform?
Will I look hot damn in thigh high boots with crazy cool hair?
Will I be arguably the most gorgeous being on Earth (but I will NOT have a dozen children, ok? OK)?
Will I become one of the five?
Will I become an androgynous rock star and scare off all children 8 and under and traumatize them for all eternity so that even as a 33 year old adult, you still won’t be able to look at a picture of him/it/her/erhm without the hair on your arms standing on end? (ahem…)
Cute doggie! PLAY?
Would I be sexy like The Hoff?
Ooops…can’t someone just DRAW the eye patch on this one? HUSBAND….ADMIN…PHOTOSHOP GUY!!!!
Private Eyes…They’re Watching You
Tickle me silly…I love these guys….
Another Episode of Home Inspection Mishaps
How did he get in there in the first place? He’s just…hanging, stiffly – with his toes all splayed out…
I see at LEAST five more outlets open for use…how many can you spot?
Meh…what’s a little mold, eh? Fuzzy, wuzzy…
What’s the matter? Don’t YOU have floodlights in your shower?
Excellent for extra coat or dog leash hanging and murder.
No kids, this is SO not a pinata…
What the what, hot tub? I have nothing to say.
A self-contained eco-system in the attic. Bats mean no bugs, and the snake is bat control. Check out how meaty the bats are…must have been a lot of bugs around.
This owner MUST be the ultimate multi-tasker.
Very high gross factor….who wants to remark on this genuiosity? Do it.
Nice, clean and not icky compared to the butted up toilet above. Outlet – check. TP – check. It’s an all-in-one shower. All he needs is the sink!
All Images via This Old House
