DIY Mermaid Costume & picking grandma's flowers

So this post is about a year overdue. Last year for Halloween, Ivy was a mermaid.  I don't know how much of a DIY this will actually be, because I made this costume so long ago! Let me try to jog my memory… 

Basically I bought purple clearance fabric and made a tube top with elastic and some pleats. I used a peach-colored elastic headband to make a little halter strap. I used my seaweed ribbon and a real starfish from the year before's costume (see the Starfish costume here). For the skirt/mermaid fin, I measured Ivy's waist and cut out a maxi style skirt out of the scalloped fabric, a little wider than her waist and added elastic to the waist. I made the bottom edge come to a point in the middle. Then I used the blue/green batik fabric to make fins (8 panels to make 4 panels - 2 fins on the front, 2 on the back.) I sewed giant sparkly green rik rak on the front 2 fins, then sewed them all to the pointed edges of the skirt. 

PROBLEM: kids can't walk in mermaid fins

To solve this problem, I made a slit up the back of the skirt/mermaid fin. Then I added snaps on the side of the fin and skirt, so it could be hiked up. Oila! She can walk!

Our ritual each year is to go to the beach in front of my grandma's condo and take pictures of Ivy in her Halloween costume. It's actually not my grandma's condo anymore. She passed away a few years ago when Ivy was about 2. I remember going to show my grandma my Halloween costume every year growing up, and it seemed to bring her so much joy. She loved seeing the grandkids all dressed up. Every time I take Ivy, I remind her about who her "G-Gma" was and that this was where she lived and talk about how special she was. She and my grandpa's ashes are spread in the ocean right where Ivy is looking. 

What was crazy on last year's trip to the condo is that Ivy stopped on the sidewalk exactly in front of my grandma's condo and picked a flower for me. I couldn't believe it! She had no idea that she was exactly in front of G-Gma's condo, (it's been remodeled by the new owners), but also, I picked flowers from that same bush for 20+ years, and gave them to my grandma. 

I don't know what Ivy is going to be this year… we are on a different island now, but will have a chance in mid-October to go visit my grandma's beach. I better get my act together and make a costume! (And hopefully it's beach-themed again, haha). 

This girl makes it too easy to take pictures! She's just up for anything. Don't you love the starfish head band? A friend of mine saw I was making a mermaid costume, and said she had the PERFECT head band for it. Pearls and starfish. I love it!

If you have more questions as to how to make this costume, feel free to comment or email me. 

Sorry the DIY part of this post is pretty lame… haha. 

Aloha, Becca

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LOCAL SPOT: a. ell design & atelier - now carrying Ivy & Co.!

I am so excited to announce that Ivy & Co. head bands, boho wraps and clothes pins are now sold in a. ell designs & atelier! The shop is located on Kauai in Old Town Kapaa (with a new store opening soon in Portland!) I've known the owner for about 7 years through our businesses (her store, my dance classes), so I was so excited when everything lined up for me to put my products in her shop.

This is the display Kit & I created. My vision, his drilling, then he painted it, (without my permission, and I about had a cow), but it turned out great. You know me, I was going to paint it black! Regardless, it turned out awesome. It's a wooden picture frame and a wooden box I found at the Habitat Restore.

Some close ups of the head bands and bohos that went to a. ell designs & atelier.

For starters, they carry a.ell designs (aloha shirt on the left, and the polka dot shirts in the middle). 

They have fun hats. The one on the right is part of the a.ell designs collection. (Buy it here!)

They carry some great bags from local designers: Clutch and Denise Tjarks.
I love my Clutch coin purse!

Bikinis by Kauai designer Kaikini and Barcelona-based Desigual.

I love the raw edge on these Kopa Kauai soaps. Sandalwood, Lavender, Lychee, Papaya - they smell wonderful! 

Since I'm obsessed with tea towels right now, I think these Cultivate Hawaii tea towels are perfection. Made with 100% organic cotton!

Their extensive jewelry display contains designs by:

Caitlin Ross Odom

Malacologie

Fine Jewelry by Angelina

Art work by Heather Brown is all over the shop.

Click here to view a. ell's collection of hand-crafted wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses.

I love this quote from the a. ell website:

"Enjoy Island wear with a classic flair, fabrics that are environmentally sensitive, and clothing designs that not only look “hot” but are cool, comfortable and fun to wear.  High quality, naturally eco-friendly, exquisite fabrics and guaranteed workmanship are hallmarks of an a. ell design. Specializing in casual island wear for men, women and children, beach style wedding dresses and home decor."

The next time you pass through Kapaa or Portland, hit up a. ell design & atelier. 
If you're not on island, browse their website.

a. ell designs & atelier Kauai

4-1320 Kuhio Hwy

Kapaa, HI 96746

Monday -Saturday 10-6

Sunday 11-5

a. ell designs & atelier Portland

3535 SE Hawthorne Blvd

Portland, OR 97214… coming Nov. 2014

Aloha, Rebecca

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Before & After: Nautical Side Table

There's a particular thrift store around here that, well, scares me a little. Let's just say I don't think they're actually in the business of thrifting, and they come up with outrageous prices off the top of their foggy heads. (Am I being mean? Not naming any names!) I finally went in there because I could see some wooden gems in their lot, and thankfully walked away with this cute side table:

It's most recent stain/varnish/glue (who knows) was warped from the sun, so this was definitely going to have to be on the shabby chic side of the spectrum, which is not my frequent style. After sanding my brains out I realized the rippled varnish was not going to give in, so I whipped out my Long Island Sound maps. (Remember when I got them here?) 

I got Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint from Home Depot in the color "vintage" and painted the whole outside in that. 

Then I did the inside in black chalk paint (drawer inside also). 

I modge podged the maps on the 3 horizontal surfaces. The bubbling was a little tricky (sorry, no tips on that issue) but I pushed them out as best as I could. I modge podged over the maps, then waxed the whole thing with clear wax. Remember - Measure twice, cut once! I wasted a square of this precious map :(

Oh yes, and it got a new knob. Faux crystal. 

Kit wants it next to his side of the bed, but sorry hubs, it's for sale. 

(Comment or email me if you're interested: ivyandco@icloud.com). 

I must say, I'm really enjoying buying, rehabbing and selling from the Garden Isle! 

Aloha, Rebecca

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Playing On My Pod #6 - Who has the #1 album in the country?

5 new songs to start this week off right! (Sunday-Monday are my days off… so I start my week  on Tuesday. It works out because then I never hate Mondays!) FYI- this week's first 3 picks are pretty mellow, and the last two are straight hip hop. Lecrae has the #1 album in the country! 

1. Endless Love Suite, by Christophe Beck

2. Ever After, by Josh Kramer

3. Bottled Up Tight, by Luke Sital-Singh

4. Say I Won't, by Lecrae (feat. Andy Mineo) 

5. King Like Mine, by Trip Lee 

Also, are you following me on Instagram? If not, get to it! Every Friday I feature 4 new awesome accounts that you'd just love (if your taste is AT ALL like mine, and I'm assuming it might be, since you're here, reading my top 5 songs of the week!) Here's link to the last 2 weeks:

Click here to view

Click here to view

Click here to view

Aloha,

Rebecca

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Quotes from "When To Speak Up (and When Not To)" - Part 1 of 3

My mother-in-law gave my husband a book a few weeks ago. Neither one of us read books, but for some reason I picked up this one and it's been blowing me away: 

"When To Speak Up (and When Not To)"

Godly Principles for Conversations You Won't Regret

By Dr. Michael D. Sedler

The subject matter is simple: communication. But we all know how complex that can be. 

Disclaimer: These are quotes from the aforementioned book. They are not written by me, but are merely excepts from the book. To gain the full context of the quotes, please read the book in its entirety. 

Let's glean from some quotes from the first 3 chapters:

"...to the tongue, All the limbs of man are erect but you are horizontal; they are all outside the body but you are inside. More than that, I have surrounded you with two walls, one of bone and the other if flesh." p. 18

In regards to Adam not speaking up when Eve ate the forbidden fruit:

"Adam was not being caring, protective or loving. On the contrary, he was being selfish, self-absorbed and perhaps fearful. The price of his silence is staggering." p. 22

"Our silence will only create a spiritual death within us." p. 25

In regards to David slaying Goliath:

"The army of Israel had been given the honor of protecting the people, yet they were shrinking back. David saw this and it violated the sense of shepherding so ingrained in his spirit... David knew the cost of losing a battle... Due to his understanding and experience, David was able to respond to the challenges from Goliath with authority." p. 31, 33

"Too often we speak emotionally or act impulsively, not having assessed the whole situation. While we may disagree with what we see, we must be sure that our actions are valid." p. 32

"Too often we feel that we must elevate ourselves to a person's level of authority or position in order to speak truth into his or her life... When we are willing to pour into the lives of others through obedience, God often open their ears." p. 33

"If you want to maximize the possibility of others "hearing" your voice, it is imperative they see your heart of service. Too often the heart people see in others is the heart of "self-service," which breeds suspicion and animosity... If you feel compelled to confront a situation, it is imperative to step forth with a heart of humility and service." p. 34

"When we feel the desire to speak up in a particular situation, it is important to understand each nuance as completely as possible. Too often, we blunder ahead and find out that we did not have all the facts. Asking questions is an excellent way to garner information before formulating a plan. It also shows those who are involved that we are interested in their ideas and thoughts." p. 35

"Timing, timing, timing. Test the temperature of the water before jumping in... Get the information you need so that you can better pick and choose the appropriate times to bring up issues." p. 37

"When we find ourselves in a place of confrontation, it behooves us not to come against an individual, but to help people expand their perspectives and see the possibilities in God." p. 37

"While it is not always necessary to have a great deal of experience or knowledge in order to have a strong belief system, it may affect the receptivity of the persons with whom we are sharing... we are most effective when we are motivated to encourage and educate." p. 38

"When we are caught up with "proving" something, it often turns into a power struggle." p. 39

"If a problem is addressed with accusation and innuendo, the only results are frustration and defensiveness. Instead of attacking one another, we need to attack the problem." p. 40

Good stuff, huh? It's even better in context, because Dr. Sedler lays it out so nicely with pertinent stories. There's 7 more chapters to summarize, so stay tuned! 

Aloha, Rebecca

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LOCAL SPOTS: Pagoda in Kapaa, Kauai

On our way to pick up Thai food from Mema's last night (it's in Kapaa, dine in or take out, best Thai food ever, and the only Thai food I eat!), I noticed a new store next door, called Pagoda.  

There have been other random shops in this spot, but this zipper pouch display, which I could see from my parking stall, caught my eye. I love these bags from Blue Q! I have a fox one, remember? (see it here). Little did I know I was going to find a treasure trove of other items in Pagoda!

There were so many things to ooh and aah over!

Vintage Hawaii License Plates

This refurbished vintage pie safe. (I have one of these, too, awaiting it's makeover!)

I love the screens on the side, which are part of the original design on this one. It brings in so much light!

This might be my favorite discovery - a vintage flower frog! I've never heard of them before, but I took a poll on Facebook and Instagram, and I was surprised how many people knew what it was. How did I miss that lesson in my American Folklore class in college?! Anyways, for the uninformed, a flower frog is something you put in the bottom of a vase, and you stick your flower stems in each hole to create an evenly-dispersed arrangement. According to Liane, Pagoda's lovely owner, people are now buying them to use as paperweights, or to put their pens in them on their desks.   

Here's another version. I kind of like this one better. 

Vintage Flower Frog

Here's another cool item that apparently was popular in the 1980s: Fairy Balls. 

They have a subtle little jingle, and are shaped like globes! I'm all about these. 

Vintage Fairy Balls - circa 1980

This little mermaid case is so cool. 

The lighting was all wrong, but I had to take a picture of this card catalog! You know me and card catalogs. Have you seen my latest metal one? Click here. 

In the shabby chic corner were these little round cushions, sweet coin purses and vintage door handles.  (I'm gonna remember those door handles…)

There was also a whole lot of vintage "pacifica" goodness in Pagoda. 

Kapa Cloth Wall Hanging

Glass fishing floats and pressed butterfly art. 

Lanterns galore.

A ceiling full of parasols. Gorgeous!

Don't be shy, go check out Pagoda! 

Pagoda

Antiques - Gifts - Accessories

4-369 A Kuhio Hwy

Kapaa, HI 96746

(808) 821-2172

www.pagodakauai.com

Like them on Facebook! Click here.

Hours:

Tue, Thu, Fri - 11am-6pm

Wed - 11am-5pm

Sat - 11am-4pm

Closed Sun-Mon

So excited I found this gem of a shop. 

Aloha, Rebecca

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