Set up your original mark in the address bar (Blogger)

Like I did with my blog, it is possible to change your mark that is shown next to your blog's html address in the address bar! I don't know about how other blogs work, but they probably work just like Blogger so that you have control over your entire html codes on your blog. This is how I made my own pink penguin mark to show up there. 1) Make your icon using a photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop to create 16px by 16px image. 2) When saving the file, make sure the name of the file ends with ".ico" just like "Penguin.ico". 3) Go to your blog's editing page where you type in when creating a new post. Then click on "Add image" button. 4) Upload the mark you just created. 5) In "Edit Html" you'll see a long cord for the image you just uploaded. Look for the direct link cord that comes after src=" and end with .ico" Copy the link. (the quote marks exclusive) 6) Then go to Layout/ Edit HTML page. 7) In the editing text box right before </head>, type in... <link rel="shortcut icon" href="(Your code for the image that ends with .ico)"></link> and save the template. 8) Now go to your blog and see if the mark in the address bar has changed;) *Note* This does not seem to work on some web browsers such as Internet Explore 5.0 or below but it's supposed to work on most of the common browsers. Was this clear? I am not very knowledgeable about html, but if you have any question about this particular fun little html project, feel free to ask me! Thanks for reading and Good Luck if you are trying this!

Before and After : My Ironing Board

If you have seen any of my sewing tutorials, you might have noticed how icky yucky my ironing board was... It was quite terrible. I got it from a thrift store for $2 or something in Seattle a couple years ago and burned the surface with an iron like a million times. I never liked how this looked, but it is so wee that it's easy to use and store. I've wanted to change the fabric used on the ironing board so bad but it literally took ages for me to take an action. But anyway, this is what I did. I got rid of the top fabric cover. That felt really good when I threw away the dirty burned fabric. Yay! Using a staple gun I attached this heat-resistant fabric. I think this can be found at any local fabric stores like Joann and Hancock. Then on top of it, I attached one of my favorite Amy Butler fabrics in the same way... Tada!! Isn't it just amazing?! Just the top fabric..which has been changed..but now I LOOOVE this ironing board!!! I used to store it in the closet so that I didn't have to see it besides crafting time but I think from now on I am leaving out somewhere around my sewing space because it looks so pretty that it could be a part of decoration that I am working on right now. I am so impressed by what fabric can do for you. -------------------------------------------- I also made another little nice change.. Look at the address bar above on your computer! Do you see that you don't see the blogger mark anymore next to the html address but you see... Pink penguin mark! I've wanted to do this but finally figured out how to do this today. If anybody is interested, I can sometime write about the tute on it.It's super easy! -------------------------------------------- I am planning to make a new sewing tutorial for this blog. This is a little sneak peak! Thanks for reading!

Make your own lip balm

Worrying about chapped lips is only because I am here in north California, where air is quite dry. If I were in japan at this time of the year, oh boy.. I would be dying for this dry air. Humidity in summer time in Japan is insane. I make all sorts of necessary skincare cosmetics, but lip balm is definitely one of the easiest ones to make. It should take about 5 mins and it's fun because you can make your own lip balm that fits your need. You might like peppermint or chocolate scented lip balm or you might have preference in the level of thickness. Of course you can make it 100% natural. And the best of all, it's really inexpensive! Anyway, This is the ingredients you need. -1 tsp Beeswax (grazed or pellets) -5 tsp Carrier oil of your choice such as almond oil, jojoba oil, or avocado oil -3 drops Essential oil of your choice such as lavender, peppermint, lemon, or orange 1) Put Beeswax and carrier oil of your choice in a glass jar and heat it like this. 2)When it's completely liquidized, add Essential oil of your choice, stir well, pour into a container, and wait until it cools down and solidifies. That's it! Isn't it so simple? Fun part is that you can really make up your own recipe of lip balm. Beeswax could be replaced by cocoa butter if you like the scent and the emollient effect, and the carrier oil can be anything! Just one kind of carrier oil like apricot kernel oil? Sure! A mix of some oils to make it more original? Sure, why not?! Essential oils work the same way: Choose whatever you want as long as it's applicable to skin. All the ingredients should be available at natural grocery stores like Whole Foods but you could buy them online too.(FromNatureWithLove has got a plenty of everything!) -------------------------------------------- Woo Hoo! Here comes one more beautiful fabric basket!!!! Fabric Basket by Billie of Tweety's Nest I am really impressed by so many creative and beautiful fabric baskets! Thanks so much for making;)

Fabric Basket for me!

I made a tutorial for a fabric basket and have created three baskets in the past,,, but I never made one for myself! So here I am with my new fabric basket that I just finished today;) Hooray! It's mine! I used this knit top that I thrifted from goodwill. I love this retro-ish pattern and 70's inspired colors. I knew I had to make something out of this beautiful knit and the fabric basket was my first try...and I'm liking it quite a lot! If I have to say one thing about this knit though, it's a little smelly. It was sitting there in the messy dusty thrift store for like a half a year. I know some of you know what I mean by "Thrift smell" but this knit seriously has a strong thrift smell! The fact is that I personally don't care that much. Secondhand stores are like heaven for me because much pleasure of life comes from the thrift experiences and I am absolutely used to the particular smell...But not Joe. When he smelled this knit he was like.."Oh My Goodness! Wash it Wash it!!!" Washing knit? Hmmm.. no thanks. So, the fabric basket will carry the scent. Sorry Joe! ----------------------------------- By the way, I found an AWESOME bird pattern/tutorial on SpoolSewing's blog! Look for a link to the pdf in the sidebar. I found the pretty birdies when browsing on flickr, stunned by them, curious how it was made, jumped over to the blog, and "WOW! There is a free pattern for it!!" Do you know how this feels? I love it. Thanks for reading!

Two Oven Mitts

Up close to an oven mitt I finished today. I like random patchwork. No worrying about all the lines straight or perfectly 90 degrees! Yay! This oven mitt was made to match with this plastic bag dispenser I sewed a while ago. *smile* I like it! I like how the vintage flower print fabric stands out quite well in the busy crowded patchwork world. I also made... to match with... All of these are for a girl in Japan for a custom-order. I strongly hope she will like them;) ------------------------------------------ Do you remember the jelly mold I thrifted a couple days ago? I made custard pudding using it! This glass dish used for the pudding is, of course, unquestionably, from a thrift store too! I love making almost everything around me "Thrifted"! Joe (who has been a big couch potato this entire weekend because of the new video game he's got,) liked the pudding too! Thanks for reading!!

Cath Kidson

I think Cath Kidson is such an amazing designer. All of her designs are so soft, sweet, nicely girlie - just the right amount, and very uplifting! While I am attracted to the sense of this retroness, I also feel like breathing in a rose garden in some modern Victorian garden somewhere in Europe. Have I ever been to Europe? Nope! (LOL) But I just feel like it! ------------------------------------------- Check this out!! Fabric basket by casserole Casserole made another beautiful fabric basket!! So pretty! Now I want to make some for myself!! Thanks, Casserole!

Vicarious Experience

I thrifted these items today. Thrift is seriously addictive! I've got so much stuff from many different second hand stores but never feel like I've done enough shopping. I just don't wanna miss any treasures that somebody might have recently dropped at any of the stores. And the fact is, I do find something awesome every single time I stop by a thrift store..That's how we get addicted, isn't it? But it's time for me to calm myself down. Too much money is gone because of this hobby..but I am very happy about today's finds...Aren't these nice? ----------------------------------- "Vicarious"... When I first learned this adjective, I thought it was such a cool word. There is no way could it be translated in just one word in Japanese. It would take a whole sentence to describe what it means, but we all experience this particular emotion: putting yourself in somebody's situation and feeling like you're the one experiencing it! Anyway, I've had some vicarious experiences at some people's postings where they wrote about the quilt market they went to that took place in Oregon this month. Have you read the report on the quilt market on yummygoods or maybe on Pink Chalk Studio? Have you seen pictures updated by Starlit Nest? Oh my....Reading their posts and looking at their pictures really made me feel like "I was at the quilt market!! and I had so much fun!" A girl can dream, can't she? ----------------------------------------- Some cool Japanese links to share... Downloadable Sewing Patterns : baby-related items Just click on the green button under the picture to download! Printable Letters/Envelops Look for a tiny button for download. Another Letters/Envelops Left button for letters and right button for envelops. And one more... Letters/Envelops From the top, the first one is for an envelop and the second one is for a letter! Thanks for reading!!

Pink Bag

So this is how it turned out...UGGGG... I didn't do a good job on sewing this handbag. While making it though, I was so excited about listing this bag in my shop. I love the feeling when I receive an e-mail from Etsy notifying me that my item has been sold. Then I enjoy the short walk to the local post office, carrying the sold item and feeling like I am some sort of a woman entrepreneur. So I was hoping that this bag will bring the satisfactory feeling back for me...but this outcome is discouraging me to list in my shop. My very original pattern for the bag part was fun, but the way I attached the top part was .... a little disaster. Working with linen..gathering.. all the difficult things at all once. Well, you probably can't tell how bad I actually did from these photos, because I made a point of not taking a picture of inside where the top part and the bag part are attached. LOL. But if you personally don't care about the bad looking stitch I did inside, this bag shouldn't be graded that low. Handles turned pretty nice and it should be big enough to carry all the necessities. If you are so kind to feel like buying this item, feel free to contact me (via e-mail). I promise it will be cheap! --------------------------------------- Have you noticed the big change on the side bar on my blog? I spent hours last night and this morning, working on photoshop, trying to spice up and organize the side bar. It looks a little kid-ish, but I like it a lot;) I feel it's now nicer to my eyes, and finally my blog's title "pink penguin" makes some sense now that pink penguins do exist on my blog. LOL. Thanks for reading!!

A little thrift

Just two items from a second hand store today: a citrus squeezer and a tiny knitted top;) I found this cutie when rummaging through the kitchen stuff section. Way too cute to resist, isn't it?! I've wanted a citrus squeezer but never expected this much cute one to exist!! I know there are pretty nice ones out there like... But to me the birdie is the big winner! Feeling so lucky that I found this!! This knit top was pretty nice too. I won't wear it but I'll make something out of it. I adore this color and pattern, and I know it has a big potential to be something really amazing and useful, IF I can find the creative way though! Maybe a little handbag? ------------------------------------ I got done with my finals and starting tomorrow I am gonna have a short break until the beginning of June. I should be fully blissful at this point..but I am not that much excited... For some reasons, everything went perfect for me during this Spring semester. I liked all the classes and all the professors. I made many good friends who are always helpful and fun to hang out with. I also did somewhat terrific in all the classes. For someone like me who usually stresses a ton throughout a semester, it was like a miracle: I barely had any stress whatsoever during the last semester. In fact, I was even feeling sad when the semester was going toward the end. I just know that I'll probably never have as good a semester as the last one in my entire school-life, just because I know that it will get 100 times tougher once I transfer to a 4 year this fall. Well, I'm sure I feel the semester was that awesome because it ended. I believe that everything we fully relish is something that has the end. That makes the entire story so pretty and adorable...so I should appreciate the fact that the semester ended and now I am going to try out something new!