Sunday, June 29, 2014

Playing On My Pod - new week. new songs.

update your playlist with these new songs

As a dance teacher, I have to update my playlists constantly. 99% of my playlists are for work.
The other 1% (which is really 1 playlist... yes, I probably have 100 playlists on my iPod) is the only one I listen to for pleasure. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that my song suggestions are a mix between what I use in my classes, and what I listen to for myself. Here's this week's pics:

1. Explode My Soul, by Melissa Helser & Jonathan David Helser
2. Love Runs Out, by OneRepublic
3. Heartbeat, by Beckah Shae
4. I Will Never Let You Down, by Rita Ora
5. Only You, by CeeLo Green

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Have you seen all the new aprons in my Etsy Shop? Click here to check them out. 




Have a great week!
-Rebecca

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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Kids Academy - App review

I just downloaded an app on iTunes from Kid's Academy.

great pre-school education app itunes

After it downloaded I simply handed the iPad to Ivy (age 4), while I went and made coffee. 
By the time I came back, she had it figured out! 

great pre-school education app itunes

I love that it emphasizes writing the letters and numbers correctly. 
The clear fun graphics make it easy for her to see the correct way to write. 

great pre-school education app itunes

What's weird is that I was actually asked by Kids Academy to review this app for financial compensation. Little did Kids Academy know that last week I downloaded a bunch of reading and writing apps for Ivy. Weird?! I ended up deleting half of them because they were pointless and had too many ad pop ups and such. This one is better than any of those. And I'm not saying that cause they're paying me. It's really a good one, and the app is Free! 

Check it out and download it here: 

Enjoy! (Well, tell your kids I said to enjoy it). 

Aloha, Rebecca

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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Playing On My Pod - what I'm listening to - Update your playlist now!

update your playlist with current songs

I got a ton of iTunes gift cards from the recital in May, 
so I'm stocked up for Summer, musically speaking. 
Here's my top song pics right now:

1. Do Life Big, by Jamie Grace
2. Slave To The Rhythm, by Michael Jackson
3. Stolen Dance, by Milky Chance
4. Le Piege, by Armand Amar
5. On Ten, by Tedashii

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Just added these to the Etsy shop:

Ivy & Co headbands & boho wraps

Choose from either a child's headband, and adult headband, or a boho head wrap. All reversible!

Ivy & Co headbands & boho wraps

Boho wraps 

Ivy & Co headbands & boho wraps

I'm just in love with this fabric!

Happy Wednesday,
Becca

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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Monday, June 16, 2014

NEW PRODUCT REVEAL: Exfolies

So, there is something that's been driving me nuts, and I have to get it off my chest: 
I don't like wash cloths.

I feel terrible because they're a bath time staple, and come in really cute prints, and people have been using them for years! Yet, the thought of using them makes me cringe. Sure, I like them fresh out of the dryer and the feel of exfoliation on my skin. But the pro's end there. 

Here are my con's:
once they get wet, they are too heavy to manage and make washing so awkward
I only want to use them to remove mascara, but there's so much more wash cloth left over
post-bathtime they usually end up in a wet heap on the floor of the bathtub
they often cover the drain, making your bath water drain super slow
if you put them in the hamper they get everything else wet
I hate wringing them out
if you leave them on the floor of the tub for longer than 10 minutes, they start to smell
if you hang them up in the tub, they grow mold on the tile behind it

I thought I was alone in my resentment toward wash cloths. Well, I might still be alone in it, BUT, I took a poll to see how many times people use a wash cloth before, well, washing it and the answer was a resounding 'ONCE.' That's it! No one used their's more than that! What a waste of terry cloth!

So, to ease my resentment, I bought some washcloths and cut them up to the size I needed: 4.5" x 4.5". (It was therapeutic.)
I cut out some pretty fabric, and came up with a solution to all those cons: 
EXFOLIES


Pronounced "ex-fo-lees" these mini wash cloths eliminate those inconvenient, 
large, wet wash cloths from your tub, your tile, and your laundry basket. 


It's a lot easier to justify washing this tiny 4.5" x 4.5" terry cloth/cotton square after one use. Which means you're doing less laundry, and you're sure to be using a clean one every day. 





They are just the right size to wash your face, then throw in the hamper without getting all the other clothing sopping wet. The terry cloth side exfoliates the face and the cotton fabric smooths your cells. 

I'm selling them on Etsy for $8.50 per set of 4. Check them out here.
They even work as little baby wash cloths. My 4 year old loves how small they are and because it's something unique, she ends up washing herself with it way more than she does with the regular size wash cloths. 

Here's a sneak peek of the next set I'm about to finish -->
I do have one more thing to say. I have a new use for the regular size wash cloths: after I wash my face in the sink in the morning (with one of the exfolies), I dry my face with a wash cloth. I used to use the hand towel to dry my face… but yuck… don't get me started on that. 

Aloha,
Rebecca

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Recent Custom Projects - Summer Life on Maui

It's summer time!
Well, in my mind, I've been on summer break since May 5, just cause that's the ebb and flow of my year.
Here's what we've Ivy's been doing:

Lots of beach time. Ivy loves to play, then lounge.

I've been working on a few custom projects. 
I did a visit to one of my students homes and checked out her bedroom decor, as her mom really wanted some coordinating bunting. Here's what transpired:

Close Up:

She also saw one of my sold out baby soft blocks on Etsy and asked if I could make something similar for her baby nephew. Here it is: chevron, cross-stitch, scallop goodness! 

Stealing inspiration from the custom bunting, I made this birthday set for my friend's birthday. If you know me, you know I'm terrible at birthdays. Really terrible. I get gifts to people anywhere from 1-6 months after their birthday has passed. This one is only 1 month late…!
Also, the set of squares on the top left is my new product I just developed. 
Exfoli-cloths is what I've tentatively named them. I'm still himming and hawing over it...
They'll be in my Etsy shop soon!





Other Ivy & Co. products are selling like crazy too! People have literally been coming over, going through my stash and picking out what they want. I love it!



Have you been following me on Instagram? @ivyandcompany
Every Friday I feature 4 of my favorite accounts that week. 
Did you catch this #Friday4 a few weeks ago? 

Follow them here: 



Lastly, on a personal note, I started Pro-Active+ last week! I have terrible acne around my chin and lower cheeks and ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I'm 31 years old and don't want a crater face! I was going to share 'before' pictures, but I opted our of doing that today. Maybe I'll share them when I have awesome 'after' photos to show as well. :) I know. Cheating. Anyone else use Pro-Activ+? So far, so good for me, except that salt water has been burning my face. No good for the summer swells I'm trying catch! 

How's your summer going?

Aloha from Maui,
Rebecca
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Saturday, June 7, 2014

Black Chalk Paint Vanity & Crying Over Spilled Milk

This is a post about a vanity. 

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

But let's back up a little. 

Let me just say, I love my mom. If you know my mom, you KNOW my mom. 

You know about the time she put Jheri Curl in her hair for some extra conditioning. My mom is not black. It didn't come out for weeks.

You know that for my first trip to see snow, she bought me boys thermal underwear, complete with extra space in the front area, just because they were on sale, and the girls' pair were full price. 

You know that she's been kicked out of the Serbian Embassy in Hungary, just to try to get two Slovenian teenagers across the border, in Jesus' name. 

You know that when I was 10 years old and we traveled via dugout canoe for 8 hours to minister to the remotely placed Mosquito Indians in Honduras, she forgot to bring my clothes. 

You know she can never have Coca-Cola without ice in it. She used to bring garage sale ice cube trays to foreign countries, introduce herself to the hotel kitchen staff, and have them freeze ice for her so she could have ice at every meal. Because they had the best rates, and were so accommodating, we stayed at one hotel in particular every summer. We later found out it was actually a brothel.

You know that while we were on a layover at LAX she took me to Compton to purchase blonde hair extensions which she braided into my hair on our 12 hour flight to Germany. Can you imagine seeing someone do that on a plane?

You know that in the late 90s, anytime she saw an older woman with bright red dyed hair she would yell, "Hey Bozo!" (as in Bozo, the clown). 

You know that she was almost deported for selling discontinued LA boutique clothing at a fruit market in a former socialist country without a permit. Before the threats, she made thousands of dollars doing these sales. Again, all in Jesus' name.

You know she's posed for pictures with men who she thought were Eastern European celebrities, when indeed they weren't. The same goes for the homeless man on the side of the road who told us he was John the Baptist. She tried to get me and my brother to take a polaroid with him, and he chased us off "his" property saying he was in talks with a movie production company and no pictures were allowed. 

And now, cause I'm telling you, you know that a few weeks ago she asked me to help her use Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint for the first time. I was so excited! I went over and helped her pick out a color and order off the Luckett's website. She got Artissimo, and I ordered myself some Ironstone. The package arrived at her house a few days later. I know this because she called me in a panic.

"Becca. I did something really bad."
"Oh my gosh, what?! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!"
"Yes, no, but it's really bad… I mixed the paint. ALL of it. YOUR paint."
"WHAT?! ALL OF IT?! MY IRONSTONE?! WHY?!"
"Yes! Yours! I don't know!"

You see, my mom is really eager to get things done. And boy does she get things done. She's 61 years old and as I type this, she's actually painting the house next door, while watching a 2 year old. 
Back to the milk paint.

"Mom! We were supposed to do this together! Why did you mix it? It only has a shelf life of 5-7 days! That paint would have lasted me a year! And I have no time to paint anything with it because the recital is this weekend!!!" (Every year I'm in charge of 3 different dance shows, with 500 different students, that take place within 24 hours, the first weekend of May. It's a project 9 months in the making…. The frantic phone call from my mom happened on April 29.) 

I hung up. I was mad. She felt bad. I kept telling myself it was only a $30 loss, but I felt the same way I did when I would pump, only to spill my breast milk while trying to put it in those awkward Lansinoh bags to freeze. And just like I would cry over spilled breast milk, here I was, pacing across my house, crying over milk paint. 

But, you see, like my mom, I, too, am eager to get things done. 

Which is how this vanity came about. It had been sitting there in our work tent since Spring Break, and I had no vision for it. I got it from a friend, and really wanted it to be amazing.

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and afterpainting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

So I briefly sanded it, and covered that baby in Ironstone Milk Paint!

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

From afar, it looked OK. But up close it was terrible. My sanding was too brief. 

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

Paint was just chipping off all over the place. And I am not a fan of the chippy look. I really should have primed it. 

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and afterpainting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

 The green inside looked ridiculous, and even though I tried to be frugal and reuse a knob I already had by painting it silver, it just screamed "cheesy" and "cheap."

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

The Ironstone milk paint went back in the fridge, and a few days later went off. The vanity went back in the tent and started collecting dust. The 3 shows happened that weekend.

I was in Lowe's a couple weeks later and discovered they carried pre-mixed chalk paint! This is HUGE. Maui stores are not progressive and don't carry any type of special paints. This would actually be my first go at using chalk paint. I grabbed a container of black and went home and got to work. This stuff is awesome!! Some Kilz and some sanding later, and oila!

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

Take a look at the Ironstone shining through. 
painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

Evidence of spilled milk!
painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

It got a coat of Beeswax Furniture Wax, and a new crystal knob. 
painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

I'm eager to sell her, but know she's a reminder that even something good can come from milk paint mixed to soon. After all, the show must go on! 
painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

 I spilled Ivy's milk, and she turned out pretty good.
painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

She's for sale for $200. 
painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

Mom, I love you. I was laughing so hard I was crying while writing this post. And now you know the milk paint protocol. Thanks for helping this vanity to turn out so nice. :)

painting a vintage vanity black chalk paint spilled milk before and after

Aloha, Rebecca
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