JeLowe

Bikini Kitchen Booty Butter Tanning Lotion

2009-06-03T11:36:00.004-05:00

Check out this great giveaway from 80 MPH Mom! Bikini Kitchen Booty Butter Tanning Lotion! I was amazed by this stuff! It smells good, encourages tanning, and even repels bugs! I can't wait to get mine to use when we go canoeing or to the lake.

From Bikini Kitchen: The Best All Natural Tanning Lotion for Your Booty

Your booty deserves the best. That's why we only use the finest natural ingredients in our Bikini Kitchen Booty Butter tanning lotion. Chemicals? Nope. Artificial dyes? Please. We Booty Butter babes are all natural, baby.
And leave those streaky orange lotions at the drugstore ladies, this Booty Butter tanning lotion is NOT a stain or self tanner. It's a totally natural potion that accelerates your tan by nourishing your skin.
Our recipe for a glowing, beautiful tan:
• Aloe – soothing and nourishing
• Hawaiian Kukui Nut Oil – a Hawaiian secret for glowing skin
• Light Mineral Oil – Makes your booty glisten with moisture!!
• Kona Coffee Extract – Yum!! And may help prevent skin cancer!!
• And other ALL NATURAL ingredients.
Bikini Kitchen Booty Butter all natural tanning lotion is perfect for babes of all shades and skin types, since it can be worn along with your favorite SPF lotion (highly recommended) – and it works so well, you'll still see a tan! This all natural tanning lotion is really potent stuff – so if you're a fair little mamma, you may want to limit yourself to an hour in the sun your first time.
Not convinced? Ladies, here are some more reasons this Booty Butter is the BEST tanning lotion for your booty:
• Contains Antioxidant Vitamins A, E & C to protect and nourish that sexy glow.
• Super moisturizing for a long lasting tan you can bet your booty on.
• Water resistant for you bathing beauties!
• A Great Bug Repellent – So no bugs bite your booty!!
• Us babes LOVE our furry friends (we're talking about pets, girls, not that guy with the back hair. Eww.). Absolutely NO animal testing.
Need we say more? Nothing but the best for your booty. Smooth it on ladies. And look fabulous.

80 MPH Mom is giving away a great gift basket full of Bikini Kitchen goodies. Get over there before June 15th for your chance to win!

My Magnificent New Office Chair (Kinda!)

2009-05-11T10:31:00.002-05:00

So I was checking out this post from dink http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmNyYWZ0c3Rlci5vcmcvZm9ydW0vaW5kZXgucGhwP3RvcGljPTI2NzI3OS4w and decided my chair needed some love too! It was an awful textured black that looked nasty no matter how much I cleaned it. I scored some awesome furry cow print fabric with a wavy pattern to it about a year ago and thought it would be perfect! Only one injury and it wasn't even from the staple gun! Let me know what you think!

New Drapey Green Dress

2009-03-31T16:29:00.006-05:00

So I saw this gorgeous Thayer dress on Shopbop.com and wanted, wanted, wanted it. Unfortunately I do not have $200 to spend on a dress so I made a similar one. This was my first time working with satin and I have like 3 bolts of hunter green so I thought that would be the perfect color to practice on! I think this is the first thing I have made that I will actually wear. I think I am going to make another one in a print. Let me know what you think!

Announcing Free Fabric Fridays!!!

2009-03-27T10:57:00.001-05:00

Announcing Free Fabric Friday! Become a Facebook Fan for Details & to Participate!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/JeLowe/47550561563

Delicious Gooey Carmelized Baked Chicken

2009-03-05T12:09:00.004-06:00

Okay, so the above picture is from Allrecipes.com. This is the second time I made this chicken and both times it was inhaled before I could take a picture. This chicken is that delicious...and easy! Well, we thought so, anyhow.

Caramelized Baked Chicken
Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup 1 cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken.
3. Bake in preheated oven for one hour, or until sauce is caramelized.

The first time I made it I didn't have enough honey, so it was a bit runny, but it was still delicious. The second time I added a bit extra honey and it turned out perfect! Gooey, sweet, and delicious! I also baked it about 30 minutes longer. It was falling off the bone when we pulled it out. I also recommend using real honey. Our local honey had so much flavor then the honey bear from Wal-Mart.

Here is the link to the Allrecipes.com recipe so that you can see all of the hints other readers added. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caramelized-Baked-Chicken/Detail.aspx Easy, cheap, delicious, and a crowd-pleaser!

Fantastic Zebra Print Notecard Giveaway

2009-02-19T17:50:00.002-06:00

Check out these great Zebra Notecards that Knotaway is giving away on her blog! They even come with matching envelopes and you pick the color! Stop by and visit for your chance to win.

Our Newest Family Member

2009-02-16T12:53:00.004-06:00

I apologize for being gone so long. We lost a very important family member, our dog Dixie. After a few weeks of grieving, and watching our other dog and the cat mope around, we decided to bring a new dog into the family. While we aren't the Rockefellers, we have the love and resources to support another dog. I feel this is especially important with record numbers of animals going to the shelters because, in this economy, people claim they can't afford them. My pets are like my children. I can't imagine giving them up for any reason. If worse came to worse, they could eat generic bagged cereal and ramens with the rest of the family.

Our dog Howl is part Mastiff (He's the one in the dog coat, below.) and we thought it was important to get a dog that was about his size. Having seen him interact with several other dogs, I also thought we needed a girl...but I wan't set on this. We also needed her to get along well with children since there are plenty in our neighborhood (and we are hoping to have some our own). My friend Sara had found her two dogs on Petfinder and I thought I would check it out. I kept putting it off because I wasn't ready for a new dog. I was certain that I did NOT want a puppy. They annoy Howl, Maury (the cat), they have to be potty trained, and they chew. When Howl was a puppy he ate a table, wood, like a whole quarter of it, the couch, a blanket, and my favorite black stilettos. There were countless other things, he was a terror. He refused to be potty-trained. He ate a bag of rat poison. He wouldn't sleep. There's so much more I could tell you, but I will sum it up with, he is the worst puppy I have ever had. Four years later, he is a great family dog but I was not ready to go through all of that again. The other reason being, adult dogs have less chance of being adopted. I just don't get it! I only see perks to a pretrained dog! :-)

I didn't just want to stop by the pound because I knew I would want to take them all home, but I definitely wanted to get one from the pound. I figured I had better have a plan. Petfinder was great. I put together a list of dogs that I thought would be compatible with our family, called them to find out if I could bring Howl along and went for a visit. I was so excited that they let me bring Howl to see if the dogs would play well together. He rejected all of the dogs but one, and it was the one at the top of my list, Toffee, a Rottweiler/Lab mix. She is two years old, it appears that she is pretrained, if not, she has caught on quick, she is roughly the same size as him, and is very, very sweet.

A few other things I learned while I was there...

Over 25% of the dogs taken to the shelter are purebred. My friend adopted a Yorkie and a Daschaund, with all of their papers. While they come and go all year, the best time to pick up a purebred dog is in January or February. Alot of people get these dogs for Christmas presents, then realize they don't have the time and/or energy for a pet.
Our shelter, as do many others, keeps a wishlist. Just let them know what kind of pet you are looking for and they will call you as soon as one comes in.
The adoption fee covered getting Toffee spayed, her vaccinations being up-to-date, a bag of food, a month of pet insurance, and more.
Our shelter runs a different special every month. This month Large Male Dogs were $25 off. Not only that, they were offering a discount if you wanted more than one animal. They had two beautiful golden retreivers that you wouldn't have wanted to seperate.
The shelter I went to was very clean and the animals were well cared for. It wasn't as glum and hopeless as shelters I have visited in the past. I was very impressed. It was also much nicer than many pet stores that I have been to.

To sum it all up, my experience was much better than anticipated and we have a great new family member. I still wanted to take all of them home, but I am aware that trying to provide enough love and attention to more than three animals is probably more than we should try to take on. If you are looking for a new addition to your family, check out Petfinders. I have put the search tool to the left of this post!

More on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

2009-02-01T11:13:00.002-06:00

I know everyone has a lot of questions regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. I ran across this article on Ebay that answered some of them and is working to get the rest of the answers that a lot of us have.

http://ebayinkblog.com/2009/01/28/the-cpsc-takes-questions-from-ebay-community/

Virtual Valentine's Day Bake Sale!

2009-01-28T14:26:00.006-06:00

The folks at Team EEAT (Etsy's Edible Arts Team) had the brilliant idea of holding a Virtual Valentine's Day Bake Sale! There are some great sales along with some super free with purchase deal including the delectable treats below!

Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Tree's Treats

Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers from Sweet Treats by Maryann

Chocolate Covered Oreos from A Sugar Affair

They're also holding a great giveaway so you can win some of these delicious delicacies... Don't miss out! I'm hungry just looking at the pictures!

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

2009-01-28T11:51:00.003-06:00

I'm sure if you are on the handmade circuit you have heard about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. I have heard many crafters say, 'Well, this doesn't really effect me because I don't make stuff for kids.' Most people, not just crafters, don't realize what all this is going to effect. Bloggers Unite: CPSIA, an article from Bee Square Fabrics and the Etsy Supply Street Team explains things like crayons, paper clips, antique toys, and so on, are going to be included. The blog includes articles from the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. This will be devastating not only to sellers of handmade children's items, but to anyone with children. As someone that is trying to have a little one in an already shaky economy, this terrifies me. Please check out the following resources and help raise awareness.

Bloggers Unite: CPSIA

Just a little taste of how this will inflate the costs of children's products:
For Artists of Etsy Exposed for Vicki Diane - CPSIA Special - Red Felt Flower Hairclip

Save Small Businesses from the CPSIA Petition

Facebook Group
Help Save Handmade Toys from the CPSIA

Write to your United States Congress Person and Senator to request changes in the CPSIA to save handmade toys. Use a sample letter or write your own.

Join the CPSIA information group

An Optimistic Beauty Winter Blahs Giveaway Event

2009-01-22T08:56:00.010-06:00

So, I was wandering around on Blogger yesterday and found this amazing giveaway sponsored by An Optimistic Beauty. She is opening a new giveaway every day for as long as she as sponsors lined up! There are some pretty fantastic treats. I know I have my fingers crossed for more than a couple of them! The first giveaway being a gift certificate for Rainbow Swirlz.

You could celebrate the birth of Edgar Allen Poe with this great Black Bird Pullover Hoodie.

I fell in love with the Floral Skull Sheery Jersey Scarf and the Owl Raspberry Crew!

Then I was drooling over this Goldfish Dress from Circular Accessories. Their giveaway is for a beautiful scarf.

This dress and I could have sooooooo much fun!

I am so glad I check out these new stores. I hope to make some purchases in the near future. (Please buy some fabric, please buy some fabric, please buy some fabric...) My adorable Phillip Lim corduroy mini needs that owl shirt to keep it company. Good luck in the giveaway! Besides what I posted here, there are lots of great items with more coming up everyday!

Smurftastic!

2009-01-22T08:49:00.004-06:00

This was in my email this morning and made me happy... I just had to share it!

The Smurfette Collection from Too Faced!

Sparkling eyeliner, happy packaging, and Mood Swing Emotionally Activated Lip Gloss! It makes me happy just thinking about it.

Have a Smurfy Day! fa la la la la la la la la la la..............

I Love Owls!

2009-01-20T07:45:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure why. I am deathly afraid of birds.

Bella Modiste is giving away the adorable mini owl quilt, pictured below, as part of the One World-One Heart Giveaway. Be sure to check the Giveaway out! There are lots of amazing handmade and vintage items you could win. Not only that, you could be introduced to a great new blog. ;-) I'm crossing my fingers that I will win the owl quilt!

Headbands!

2009-01-15T21:00:00.004-06:00

I have been working on a dress with this funky, stretchy green leopard print fabric. (I don't know what else to do with it. The fabric screamed, 'I want to go clubbing!' Not sure who is going to take it clubbing, but I will create the dress none the less.) This is my first real experience with super stretchy fabric. The narrow hem foot and the fabric were not cooperating with me. Grrrrrrrrr.... So I decided I would make a couple of headbands and work on the dress again tomorrow.

The first one is out of the funky, stretchy green leopard print fabric. Not wanting to wake the husband digging around for elastic, I remembered a Craftster post from the other day where she had used hair elastics.

It worked just fine! Plus, I got a little bit more experience working with the stretchy fabric. Next time I will use the elastic, though. A little less lumpiness. I plan to use this tutorial from Altered Cloth so I can have the ties.

The second headband took some seriously advanced sewing skills. I had bought a piece of stretchy sequined elastic at Hancock Fabrics the other day, sewed the ends together, and waa-laa! A brand new headband!

They will both look lovely with my never to be worn clubbing dress! Ahhhhhh...being a grown-up! I am finally learning to sew the clothes I always wanted and am too old to rock them! ;-)

New Boots

2009-01-12T11:57:00.003-06:00

I know I've been MIA for a bit. We had to get through all of the holiday madness and I have about a billion half finished projects lying around that I need to finish up and post. Today is a good day...today I got my brand new Midnight Sparkle Rain Boots that my darling husband ordered for my Christmas present. They were, of course, backordered and it, of course, quit raining yesterday. That's okay though, I am going to rock them anyhow!

Tonka Truck Stroller Quilts

2008-12-12T15:50:00.004-06:00

I had a last minute baby shower I just got an invitation to, and I drew a baby's name for a gift swap. I had to come up with something in a hurry and I had bought this adorable Tonka Truck fabric that I had no clue what I was going to do with it. So inspired by joyful heart's Finding Nemo quilt on Craftster, I decided to make a couple of stroller quilts with the Tonka truck fabric and some fine black corduroy I had laying around. I thought the corduroy would be good for the whole texture, stimulating that babys' senses thing and I used a thick dark grey t-shirt material, that I have a ton of, for the middle, to give it another texture and because the fabric is a nice weight and will keep the wee one warm, but won't be too heavy.

This is the Tonka Truck fabric:

And these are the quilts:

They are about 2 1/2 feet square. My mother was throwing a fit that they would be too small, but I think they are just right for a stroller, or a car seat. Maybe?

Howl's New Coat

2008-12-12T09:41:00.002-06:00

My poor angel gets sooooooooo cold in the winter, so I thought I had better do something about it. (All the shivering and sad looks were really getting to me. He is a bit of a drama queen. :-) I started looking around for patterns and found one on BurdaStyle .

Overall the jacket turned out pretty good, but Howl is part Mastiff and I didn't allow for his wrinkle skins, or the fact that his underside slopes up. I also learned very quickly that the dark flannel and black corduroy that I used are magnets for puppy hair! :-) I think I am going to make him another one with what I've learned, but in the meantime, he isn't let me take his new jacket off! Lucky for me, cold dogs aren't picky!

Eyelet PJ Pants

2008-12-12T09:36:00.003-06:00

I have been wanting more PJ pants, so I decided to learn how to make them myself! This is my first attempt. They are super comfy. I made the pattern with Wrapping paper from a super comfy pair that I already owned. I loved the fabric, which I got off of Ebay.

A close-up of the fabric:

A Quilt out of My Husband's Old Shirts

2008-12-12T09:23:00.003-06:00

This is the second quilt I have ever made! I just love it... I used my husband's old button-down shirts. (The ones that had little holes in them, or tiny unremovable stains, but I couldn't bear to throw them out!) I even left the pockets on some of the pacthes...you know, for snacks, or something!

I had decided I wasn't making another rag quilt for awhile because all of the little clipping for the ragginess, and then someone let me know about these brilliant spring-loaded rag snips . I used my half-off coupon and life has been so much easier. All of the Christmas quilts I am working on are rag quilts, (mostly because I have 9 of them to make and hand-quilting is not going to get done!) If you decided to get into rag quilting, I definitely recommend the investment!

Welcome

2008-12-03T07:40:00.006-06:00

This is my first post and these things are always a bit awkward. I do a bit of baking, cooking, quilting, and attempt some sewing. Let me show you a couple of my projects from the past months.

First is my bandana skirt. It turned out cute, but much too big! Drawstrings don't make measurements unnecessary. Another thing that I learned is that although bandanas look nice and square, they aren't. The edges are actually very wonky and hard to work with.

Next was the punk rock rag quilt I made for my friend Suellen. It was my first attempt at quilting. I was happy with everything except the transfer fabric I used faded when I washed it. If anyone knows of a good transfer fabric that won't do this, please let me know. I would love to make another personalized one of these!

I wanted to use fabric that related to her. We play a lot of Rock Band, so I used the guitar fabric, and she loves skulls and cats. My husband made the pictures for the photo patches.

These are the photo patches.

And this is the back. She is Non-Mushy, so the back is conversation hearts with non-mushy sayings like, 'Go Away'.

Next I will show you a few more of my past projects and then I will show you the Christmas quilts I am working on. Bye, till then! ~ Jennifer