(Project Run & Play) Halloween: DJ Lance...the early years

This week, we were challenged to create a halloween costume or harvest look.  

I was super excited because Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I love making costumes!

Ever since I was little, we have always made our costumes.  I love to carry on this tradition with my own kids. Of course, there will probably be some exceptions over the years, but for now, homemade is how we roll.

For this coming halloween, all of our kids already had plans for their costumes, except for my youngest, 

so we thought we would create a costume just for him.  

After tossing aside idea after idea, one night, it came to me.  

It was perfect.  

Autie (and everyone else I shared the idea with) 

LOVED it.  

So we got to work.

Autie is the genius behind the hat, isn't it perfect??

She made the pattern, we bought some crazy expensive orange fur, she sewed it up, and added some foam stars.

We went searching and searching thrift stores for white tennis shoes to paint, and I found these shoes at Children's Orchard.  The style was perfect, but they were black.  So 5 coats of paint later, we have our orange and yellow shoes.
I created a little jammies pattern, stitched it up and we added a foam faux-belt-buckle on the faux-belt. We found some sunglasses at Good Will, painted them black, and they managed to stay on for about 2 minutes.  

And yes, if you're wondering, this really is the Yo Gabba Gabba set.  We have friends in high places....

:)

Go Vote if you like it!

(Project Run & Play) Sneak Peek Week 5

Come back on Friday to see our design for the 

Halloween/Harvest challenge!

(Announcement) Shabby Apple

It's Back to School time, and Shabby Apple is going back to school in style with their newest line, Academia. And to celebrate?  We are offering 15% off sitewide with coupon code "Ivy".  This offer expires September 30th!  But wait, it gets better.  Right now Shabby Apple is offering FREE SHIPPING on standard domestic orders.  Who doesn't love free shipping? 

Please click on either the picture or the link above to browse their new Academia line! 

Which one is your fav?!?

(giveaway) Cade Christian

We are so excited to have another FUN giveaway for you today, sponsored by our friends at Cade Christian!

The founder and designer of Cade Christian, Charity has always had a passion for cutting edge fashions. A cool concept and inspired design combined to serve as the impetus for her fledgling firm. 

Carefully constructed for little heads (toddle through 6 years), Cade Christian trucker and military style hats were primarily designed to help keep the sun off children't faces, out of their eyes, keep them feeling cool and at the same time, looking cool.

Find out more about the company and see more of their hat styles like this one, here

Charity was generous enough to offer 3 winners...each winning 3 hats!  The iCandy kids sport these darling kids hats, so we think you'll like them, too!  We have 2 Girl hat sets, and 1 boy hat sets!  Check out the loot:

Girl Hat Set (A)

Cross your Heart Military style hat in Black

Flower Fields Military style hat in Khaki

Lucky Day Trucker style hat in Lavendar and White

 Girl Hat Set (B)

Cross Your Heart Military style hat in Red

Koi Pond Trucker hat in Yellow and Blue

Lucky Day Trucker hat in Pink and Gray

 

Boy Hat Set

Chinese Dragon of Love Military Style hat in Black

Chinese Dragon of Love Military Style hat in Khaki

Tiger Almighty Trucker hat in White and RED (shown here in green, but we're giving away the red one!)

 

 3 Lucky winners, get excited, here's what you have to do!

Please leave a comment for each entry with your email address included on each comment!  

Please also tell us which gender you'd prefer to win in your comments!  (we'll try to accommodate!  if you have no preference, tell us!)

-Go check out CadeChristian.com and choose your favorite hat style, come back here and tell us what you'd choose

-Become a follower of iCandy and leave a comment telling us you are! (or just remind us if you already are)

-Join iCandy on either facebook or twitter, and come back and tell us that you do!

Bonus Entry:

-blog, post on your wall, or tweet about this giveaway, and leave us a comment with the link!

(Project Run & Play) from bed to bud

When we were pondering what to make for this week's re-purposing challenge, 

Autie's first thought 

was the dresses made from curtains in the Sound of Music.   

We liked the idea of making clothing out of something intended for another purpose.  

As we continued to brainstorm, we decided to make a dress.

We came up with the design first, and then I remembered an old sheet that doesn't fit any of my beds. 

I rummaged in my linen closet and found it! 

It has a subtle leaf design/texture, which was perfect since our dress is floral inspired.  

We loved the color, a simple cream, and thought a touch of black (stripes made with ribbon) would be the perfect accent.


(Sorry about the subpar pics, it started to get dark and 
I had to use my limited editing skills to make them passable!)

We cut 30! petals in 3 different sizes, pleated the tops, and sewed them on, overlapping all over the place.  We then topped our petal-esque skirt with a simple bodice with a boat neck and tiny capped sleeves, and completed the look with a giant flower headband!

So now, go VOTE!

(guest blogging) Aviator Helmet

Thank you everyone for voting for our Mini-Mav look at Project Run & Play!

We actually won!!!

How exciting.

Anyway, our tutorial for the Aviator Helmet is up there today, so hop on over!

(Project Run & Play) Sneak Peek Week 4

This weeks challenge?

Repurposing. No new fabric.

Come back Friday for our creation!

(and then vote.)

(The Original Scrapbox and Scrapmabob) Winner!

OK, The winner of the Original Scrapbox and Scrapmabob is being announced here!

If you're our winner, please contact us within 24 hours to claim your prize...and be entered to win the Original Scrabbox!

(Project Run and Play) mini-Mav

When we put our two heads together for this week's Boy challenge, Jen and I agreed that we would create a little old-fashioned aviator.  Really, how much more studly can you get than Tom Cruise in Top Gun.  So, for the boy challenge, we thought we'd try to replicate that Maverick look, little boy style.

  

We found an over-sized, thrifted men's leather jacket from Salvation Army and a women's brown, ribbed sweater from Godowill.  We loved the look of the roughed-up leather and preferred that to buying yardage of pristine "pleather" from the fabric store.  After piecing and piecing, and hours of blood, (literally) sweat, and tears...Jen, alone, came up with our little mini-Mav.

Also with scraps from that same leather jacket, Jen made an old-fashioned aviator helmet to go with the bomber jacket- complete with fur-lined ear-protection and neck strap.
We added a painted bulls-eye tee and aviator sunglasses and combat boots to complete the look.

Please go over to Project Run and Play and vote for that little Maverick look-alike!

(giveaway) The Original Scrapbox and Scrapmabob!

OK, iCandy lovers...get excited for this awesome giveaway!

We were so pleased to be asked to participate in this huge giveaway, and only wish we could win one ourselves!  eek!  

Have you heard of the Original Scrapbox...I know it has to be on all of your wish lists already, but just in case it isn't (yet) check this piece of awesome out!

Please Visit iCandy's Reviews and Giveaways Blog for more details and to enter to win!

ps...please only leave comments for this particular giveaway on our new reviews and giveaways blog here!
You still have until Monday, September 19 at 11:59PM to enter!

(Project Run & Play) Sneak Peek Week 3

Come back on Friday to see what we came up with for the BOY challenge!

(Not My Type) and the winner is...

Emilee from Sandy, Utah who's fashion indulgence happens to be shoes...

Emilee, we'll have Melanie contact you, or email us back here so we can get your information!

Get excited, here comes your new book!

(Sponsor Shout Out) Raspberry Creek Fabrics

I happened to be browsing for fabric this weekend, so of course 

I thought I would check out 

Raspberry Creek Fabrics, 

one of my favorite online fabric shops.  

I thought I would share some of my favorites with you!

{You can click on the image to go to the listing!}

Animals:

Vehicles:

I can just see the cutest boy baby blankets....Or even wall decorations!

OK...I could keep going and going.... 

Go see all of the adorable fabrics for yourself!

(Project Run and Play) iCandy's Roxy Redo

This weeks challenge had us in a bit of a pickle: how to stay true to the pattern {so you could still tell which pattern we used} but still distinguish ourselves from everyone else!  We had a tough time deciding which direction to go!  But we started with a darling little Roxy shirt that was just too short to wear:

From there we rifled through our closets and came up with a couple other odds and ends to coordinate and make the shirt into an easy-breezy, raw-edged, beach-y number that might look like it came from Roxy, herself.

 We followed the pattern to a T, all the way up to the neckline and the sleeves.  When we got there, we cut them both straight off and tied out a little halter with a raw-edged tie.

 Then, to make it a little more fun, on the back we added a little peek-a-boo triangle that we embellished with a big, accented button.

To top the outfit off, we accessorized our roxy-chic with a darling little bag, to stow away all the little precious gems that can be found along the seashore, a pair of strawberry-shortcake-esque leggings and a headband to match.

We think we remixed just enough to bring out our own personality while still staying true to the original Sienna Dress pattern.

go VOTE at Project Run and Play, so we can keep on keepin' on!

(Project Run and Play) Sneak Peek Week 2

Come back Friday to see our latest creation for Project Run and Play! 

Here is the challenge.

And VOTE of course!

(Giveaway) Not My Type

Back in the early months of our blog, (March! :) we did a book giveaway, as we feel that writing is just another form of crafting, of creative expression.  

Our friend Melanie, who wrote The List, has had another book published.  

She was super nice and offered to give away a copy of her new book, Not My Type here on iCandy!

Get Excited!

Take it away, Melanie!

***********************************************************

The hardest part of writing a book is dressing the characters.

Seriously.

Think about the thought and effort you put into your own appearance. If it's a lot, you've really taken the time to consider what you want to tell the world about you. If it's not much time, then you may not really care what the world thinks about you. Neither approach is wrong, but either way, you're communicating something pretty specific about yourself through your clothes to everyone who meets you without ever saying a word.

So characters aren't any different.

Take old people characters. Maybe you've got an old lady dressed in a hot pink muumuu. Maybe you've got an old lady in sensible gray elastic-waist pants. Either way, you've got two totally different characters and that's just based on what the character puts on in the morning.

Main characters are even harder. My books always have elements of fashion in them because I enjoy fashion. But as a  mom with young kids, I indulge it less than I used to, so now I feel like I'm emerging from a fog as I try to figure out what "kids these days" are wearing. What's a stylish twenty-something-year-old girl pulling out of her closet to wear to church or to play with friends or to go on a first date? What if she's a braniac? What if she's a surfer girl? What if she's both? What if she's a beauty queen.

And so I have a new vice: fashion blogs. I stalk them now trying to figure out what works, what's in, what looks right for the girls. And then I have to figure out how to describe it all without drowning the reader in words. Sigh.

That's why blogs like iCandy Handmade rock my socks, folks. I love wandering by here to see what my friends Autie and Jen are doing on a daily basis that is hip and fun and interesting. You girls get a Standing "O" from me! Good work!

Melanie Jacobson is the author of The List and Not My Type. To win a copy of Not My Type, her newest novel, just do the following:


1. Be a follower of iCandy and leave a comment telling us what your favorite fashion indulgence is. (So your comment would say, "iCandy follower and my fashion indulgence is..." or something along those lines.


2. Follow us on Facebook and leave a comment telling us what your favorite fashion indulgence is. 
(So your comment would say, "I follow you on Facebook and my fashion indulgence is...." or something along those lines.


You can get an entry for each.  Just be sure to leave your email address in your comment so we can contact the winner!  Please leave your comments on the blog, not Facebook.


A winner will be chosen on Saturday, Sept. 10. To read the first chapter of Not My Type, you can visit Melanie's website here. 

(tutorial) Homemade Laundry Soap

While I was in Washington, visiting my family, my ward at church did an activity where they learned to make homemade laundry detergent.  My friend, Ginger, spear-headed the whole she-bang, and since I missed it, sent me the directions so I could make it when I got home.  

My hub and I did it this week, and I can't wait to use it on my clothes...it was so dang cheap and made so much!

Here's the recipe:

8-12 Cups of Water

1 Bar of grated Fels Naptha soap

1-5 Gallon Bucket ( I got mine at Home Depot...and it's the Martha Stewart line...pretty, huh?)

1 Cup of Arm and Hammer washing soda (not baking soda!)

1 Cup of 20 mule team Borax

4 1/2 Gallons of Water

Put grated Fels-Naptha soap into large saucepan and cover with 8-12 cups of water.

Heat on Medium High until dissolved.

Add 1 Cup of Washing Soda and 1 Cup of Borax and mix well.

Make sure all ingredients are dissolved.  

Fill bucket with 2 gallons of HOT water and add soap mixture.  Stir to combine.

Add remaining water.  As it cools it will thicken.  Allow to thicken over night.  If it thickens too much, add hot water and mix well.  Use 1/2 -1 Cup per load of laundry!

***************************************************************************

So, here's the general skinny from my end:

 my cute Martha turquoise bucket----------$2.50

Lid for my cute Marth bucket--------------$0.98

 Fels-Naptha soap-------------------------$0.97

Washing Soda-----------------------------$3.24 (It'll last me several batches!)

Borax-------------------------------------$2.98 (Again, it'll ast me several batches) 

Grand Total for my first batch--------------$10.67

BUT I'll never have to buy the bucket again, and since I only used a Cup of both the Soda and the Borax, I'll only be purchasing the Fels Naptha bar of soap each time I make it forever more...So, rather than spending $20 on my laundry detergent...I'll only be spending ONE pretty little dollar for 5 gallons worth of Clean!

sounds good to me!

try it!

(ps...I bought all of my stuff, with the exception of my bucket, at Wal-Mart (ewww))

(Project Run & Play) Challenge 1: Back to School

Here is our first design for Project Run & Play... We hope you like it!

When I first began thinking about this challenge, I was a bit stumped.  All I could picture was jeans and t-shirts and a big Hello Kitty (or other character) backpack.  But I kept on thinking and thinking, and finally my idea came to me...

A variation of the school uniform. With a backpack, of course!

In my world, this is what a school uniform should look like.  Since I am obsessed with stripes, that was my first requirement for the skirt.  As I sketched out the skirt, I wanted a preppy-ish top to go with it, and love the tie- front blouse trend.

Of course, the outfit needed a bit of a pop, so I created a cardigan, inspired by a crew cuts sweater. 

 I love the ombre trend as well, so I hand-dyed some knit jersey in varying shades of

 turquoise to create that effect.

As for my backpack, I laminated each piece of fabric with iron-on clear vinyl.  It was a bit painstaking, 

but I love how it turned out!  I used some of the fabric from the backpack for the buttons 

on the skirt and cardi.

While we were taking pictures, we had a cute little visitor who wasn't shy at all.
At first, Emily didn't know what to think, but then she got a kick out of it!

Go VOTE!