Flashback Friday - La Catrina in Love

La Catrina in Love
Marisa Hopkins
2002

Okay, I don't normally participate in memes. Something about the whole "But everyone's doing it..." makes me want to rebel and do the exact opposite (i.e. post a ridiculously long post with a million words and pictures on Wordless Wednesday... take that, Wordless Wednesday. Ha!)

But then Tia of ChristopherandTia started the Flashback Friday meme... so here I am. Not rebellious, and ridiculously nostalgic. Actually, I wanted to post a photo of my first Elegant Snob... like, first ever, which was a self portrait of moi, drawn about 10 years ago... but I only had some rubbish photos of it and my camera is entirely out of batteries (dontcha just hate that?)

So instead, here is a Dia de los Muertos illustration I did something like 7 years ago. My mom and I had been in San Diego for a weekend getaway, and the San Diego Museum of Art had a Latin American art exhibition filled with all the gorgeous La Catrina figurines and ofrendas and intricately cut tissue paper flags... oh man, I was in seventh heaven. Techicolor skeletons, flower-filled alters, gorgeous masks and sugar skulls... I just flipped out and ran right home and designed this piece featuring La Catrina, whose hat and ribbons and feathers I LOVE.

My style is a little different now, huh? Sorry the lighting is so terrible. This illustration is huge, and way too big for my scanner, and I'm terrible at photographing art, so the colors are a little off - the heart in the middle of her chest is actually hot pink! - and the photo is grainy and shiny and blech... colored pencil sucks to photograph, but you get the general idea.

So happy Friday and happy flashbacking, and if you want to flashback with me, don't forget to hit up Tia's blog and post your link.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Make It: Sparkly Mermaid Tail Tutorial

My girls both want to be mermaids for Halloween this year, so I went to the costume shop... and the mermaid tails were like, $30 a piece, for little scraps of fabric in the general shape of a tail. Sickening. So what did I do? I high-tailed it out of there (har har) and hit up the nearest fabric store.

"Okay, kids. Pick out two fabrics each," I said once we were in the fancy party dress section of the fabric shop. The glittery sequin fabric instantly caught 4 year old Gracie and 2 year old Annelie's eye. Go figure. Then, they each picked out a glitter-infused organza (for the fins).

Total cost of fabric for TWO mermaid tails? $12. Can't beat that. Want to make mermaid tails of your own? Here's how!

*NOTE: my kids are preschool/toddler age. Gracie, the oldest, is about the size of an average 4 year old. If you have older kids, you may need more fabric!

**Also, Halloween gets a bit cold, so they are both wearing long cotton pants under their tails. Definitely give yourself enough room when you are measuring the fabric, to fit pants under their tails, if you need to!

Materials:
1/2 yard each, of two different fabrics - 1 sequin stretch fabric, 1 organza fabric (with glitter sparkles!)
thread
Straight pins
Fray stopping liquid (I use Fray Check)
Elastic (mine measures 1/4 in. - nice and stretchy!)
Sewing Machine (yes, you will need basic sewing skills)
Optional Bead - for the center of the waist
Scissors

Okay, first things first... This tutorial might look a bit daunting, because I took about a million and ten photos, but really, it is super easy. I tried to be as thorough as I could, so don't be dismayed by the photos! If you are confused at all, please leave questions in the comments section!
Step 1:
Wrap sequined fabric around your kiddo's waist, making sure the tail is as long as you can get it. Cut, so that when you sew, you have a straight tube of fabric. Make sure you give them room to walk!

Step 2:
Make sure you have plenty of room to roll over the waist, to fit in the elastic. This is your last step, so give yourself plenty of room, now! If your tail isn't long enough - reaching her ankles - you can use the extra sequin fabric to lengthen it. My sequin scraps weren't wide enough, so I tapered the bottom of the tail a little (my red tail), and then sewed the strip of sequin fabric to that.

Step 3:
Try it on your kids! If they will be wearing pants under their tails, make sure there is enough room!

Step 4:
Once the tails are on your kiddo, cut the bottom into a V, so that the bottom point of the V is just above the ankles.

Time for the tail fins!

Step 5:
Pin one organza strip to one side of the front, with pleats so that as you sew, you get a lovely ruffle. You will only be pleating the FRONT of the tail, and sewing the back flat - it looks fantastic this way, but if you want to pleat both front and back of the fins, you may need more organza. NOTE: Make sure you leave about 2 inches at the tip... you will be rounding that off with scissors once it is sewn on.

Step 6:
Pin fabric on front side of the V with pleats (sorry you have to pin... I hate pinning... but its worth it in the end, I promise!)

Step 7:
Sew! Don't worry about the back of the tail at this point... just get the front sewn.

Step 8:
Round off the bottom of the V. Don't worry about making this perfect. The fin will be so full and fluffy that imperfections will be hidden.
Step 9:
Use Fray-stopping solution everywhere you cut the organza and let dry completely before moving on.

REPEAT on other side of the front V

Step 10:
Sew the back - just fold the remaining ends of the organza over to the back of the tail, pin in place and sew straight. You should have just enough to give yourself about 2 inches off the end, which you'll round off and Fray-check.

Then, make sure all the organza is cleanly cut, and all ends have been touched with the no-fray solution.

Yay, bottom done! Time for the waist!
Step 11:
Measure elastic and sew in a hoop. Make sure it is nice and tight and won't pull apart!

Step 12:
Stick the tail on your kiddo, and then take the left over organza strip and wrap it around her waist. The organza doesn't stretch, so give yourself a bit of room for stretchiness when you cut.
Then, sew the organza into a tube and fit it over the un-sewn waist of the tail.

Step 13: Put your worker-monkey to work!

Fold over the top of the tail (the sequin fabric and organza together). Slip in the circle of elastic. Have your worker-monkey (er... I mean kid) pull the elastic tight, and pin the folds over, so you can sew the elastic in.

Okay, okay, I know this isn't traditionally the way people put elastic in a skirt. You're thinking, OMG, Marisa what are you doing??... why didn't we just put the elastic in during the first step, using a safety pin, like a normal person, and then sew closed?

But let me tell ya... when I made this skirt, I was designing as I went (aka totally winging it), and I didn't know how much organza I'd have left for this part. Since I KNEW that this step was going to be easier than it looks on paper... er, computer screen... I left it for last. Have no fear, people! Sewing the circle of elastic in this way isn't hard at all.
See? Totally easy. And you are just about finished now.

Step 14:
Pinch the organza around the center on the front and sew. You can add a bead to the center, if you like, to give the tail a bit of pearly bling! Repeat for the back.

And VOILA! You are done. Now just grab your littlest mermaid and try on her tail.

When I see this picture, I can't help thinking, "Her name was Lola, she was a show girl..."

Seriousy, wasn't that easy? And affordable? And ridiculously adorable?

Yes, yes and yes!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Vacation-Mode and I'm Buying a Fence!

Bull Terrier Building a Fence
by Jay Schmetz
www.lulunjay.etsy.com

So, my shops are officially on Vacation-Mode... which is laughable, as I am far from on vacation, what with all the packing and moving. Oh man, I can't wait until the moving is over and we are settled into our fantastic new house!

Thank you so much for the awesome comments on my last post. We are so completely in love with our house! It's hard to get our tiny little apartment packed when we just want to go over to our new house and admire it all the time.

But packing we are, and soon my mom will be in town to help me start painting. I would have Will help me... but he is incompetent when it comes to painting - always forgetting to tarp off the floors, and never remembering to wipe up the drips. grrr...

Thank you so much for your support in my shop sale! I now have enough moolah sitting in my account to buy a decent bamboo fence to block the vicious dog who lives behind us (um, I didn't know there was a vicious dog until AFTER we got the new house keys).

There is only a measly open chain-link fence separating our yards at the moment. Every time we've been over there, the dog has growled and snapped at us... um, I have a 2 year old, who thinks that all snapping, snarling dogs are her BFF, and a malamute dog, who thinks that all snapping, snarling dogs are his BFF - I don't want any dog attacks, so the fence is going up!

So, yay. All of you Elegant Snobbery supporters are responsible for my kids not getting attacked by a (potentially killer) dog! Doesn't that make you feel fantastic?

I truly can not thank you enough!

xoxo,

The Hopkins House

A new, charcoal-colored roof was put on since this picture was taken. Cute!

Yesterday was the day! Our new house keys are jingling from my key chain and I can't help grinning from ear to ear.

WE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE!

I have some photos to show you all. I took them on the day we first went to see it, so the family before us was still moving out... don't mind the mess! Also, I'm missing photos of the bathrooms (one finished, and one unfinished - needs a toilet and sink), the laundry room, the dining area, and one of the bedrooms, but I'll show those as I decorate them.

We've set our official move in date as the 14th, and will be spending the next two weeks painting the walls (I want a light and fresh palette, rather than brown, orange and lime green...) and setting up house.

So come on in for the grand tour!

I need to take a picture of the living room ceiling... it is awesome. Its an ornate, white textured tile - looks like a tin ceiling, but I think it is plastic (the house is from the '40's, after all). Will and I love older houses with tons of character, and this house definitely has character!


See the silver Texas stars going around the ceiling? Our realtor (a Texan) loved them and was happy to tell us that they come with the house. The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!

Haha, don't worry California and British peeps, Will and I are not Texas converts. I'll be removing them, but seriously... they crack me up.

My studio... the best room in the house. It is actually supposed to be the master bedroom as it is the biggest room, but we figured since this will be the most used room, where all the drawing, crafting, and computer working will be, the large space is necessary as a studio! The window looks out over the backyard, so I can work while the kids play. Also, the doors going into the room have clear glass windows, so I'll be able to see into the family room and the hall, even with the doors shut.

The walls are wainscoting... I love wainscoting! I'll be changing the brown to a light robin's egg blue. I can not wait to decorate this room!

Gracie wanted the room with the window seat, so this one is hers. She also fell in love with the clouds on the ceiling, so I'll be keeping that up. But those shiny wood walls... I'll be painting those a soft pink (her request) next week!

Annelie wanted the room with the chalk board walls. YAY, she can finally have a room she is allowed to scribble all over!

The half-finished train table is staying, so I'm pretty excited to turn that into a double sided play surface for their train set and fairy dolls.

The previous homeowners were very happy we have kids... they left a whole bunch of things behind, including this little playhouse, which Gracie decided to call Strawberry Cottage. We plan on giving Strawberry Cottage a couple coats of paint, moving the big shed next to it over to the corner of the yard, and planting a children's butterfly garden in its place. Gracie can't wait to have her own garden of flowers.

Big backyard! This picture doesn't even show how great it is. The previous family left us all sorts of stuff. In addition to Strawberry Cottage, we have a pirate ship swing set and slide, a metal arbor, a garden swing, a tricycle (Annelie's favorite) and a soccer/football goal (Wills favorite). Can I just tell you how much I love the previous homeowners?

I love them. Very much.

And here is our street! Will and I were so excited to find a house we loved, at a price we could afford, in such a great neighborhood! The girls will be going to an award-winning elementary school, and there is a huge neighborhood park and skate park just two blocks away.

So what do you think of our new house? I can hardly believe it is ours!

xoxo,

Shop Closing and 1/2-Off Sale

Just wanted to alert the masses that I'll be shutting my shop down in 4 days (Monday morning Oct. 5th).

Don't worry folks... I'll be back - BUT (and this is a big but) I don't know when. It might be 2 weeks, it might be 4, it might be a month and a half, might be two months... we'll see once I get settled into my new house (really hoping it wont be more than 2 weeks).

SO, if you love Elegant Snobbery, now is definitely the time to grab what you like before I hit vacation mode. And to sweeten your shopping, all 3 of my shops will be 1/2 off.

Yes, you read that right - HALF OFF.

So hop on over and double check that there isn't anything you absolutely have to have or the world will end... and if there is, grab it before its too late! Just wait to pay and I'll send you a revised invoice - or, go ahead and pay and I'll refund your order via PayPal.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Myla's Moon Nursery

I just wanted to share a custom job with you all, today!

I was so excited to be commissioned to create the art for soon-to-be baby Myla's nursery. The room is absolutely beautiful and it was so much fun for me to create three original pieces to tie into the decor. Baby Myla's family names are Moon and Bridges, so incorporating both moons and bridges into each illustration was a lot of fun for me. Take a look!

Just for size reference, each original illustration measures 11 x 14 inches. Isn't the framing beautiful?

That chandelier is to die for! LOVE it!

Here are close ups of the illustrations above the changing table:

This is my favorite fairy... how sweet is her face?



Fishing is a family favorite, so having a little fishing fairy was the perfect touch!


And a print of my frog prince illustration, fit in perfectly!

If you are interested in seeing more photos of Myla's moon nursery, hop on over to HGTV's Rate My Space -- just {CLICK HERE}

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Home, Sweet Home

Poppy's Garden Print
by Sascalia

Let's all squeal with excitement together now, folks... ready? Go!

SQUEEEEEEE!

Okay. Wasn't that fun?

Yes.

Why did we all squeal?

Because this is an exciting week! Tomorrow is our final walk-through on our house and then we close first thing Wednesday morning!

YIPPEEE!

xoxo,