A Little Trip to California...

A couple weeks back I was lucky enough to take a little trip to LA for work to give out BarkBoxes to a bunch of rescued pups.

I'd never been to California before, so I was quite tickled with the (yellow!!) sunshine, the Pacific Ocean, and the laid-back attitudes. I think the speed and impatience of NYC has gotten to me a little bit and I need to remember that there are places where people still open doors for one another and smile on the street. ;)


Our cute and kitschy little LA hotel.


I spent most of my time in LA at the Best Friends' Super Pet Adoption where people could come to the park, check out the dogs, and take one home if they chose.


The whole event was part of Best Friends' NKLA initiative-- an effort to make Los Angeles a no-kill city and get all the adoptable critters warm and happy homes.


There were hundreds and hundreds of critters in need of adoption, but I couldn't help but choose a few favorites. Pictured above is Toby and Chula, the odd couple.


There were purebred dogs, kittens, puppies, mutts, a snake, and a rabbit... All in need of a good home. After the entire weekend was over, 411 critters found new homes in three days. Crazy. (More on that here.)


While there was a little bit of free time to go see the LA sights...


...And the beach...


Ohhh that beach... :)




...The weekend was still all about those pups getting new homes. A wonderful, wonderful experience that I feel so lucky to have had. <3 More-- What it's like to work at BarkBox.

How to Make a Constellation Infinity Scarf

Just popping by to share this post I wrote over on Scarves Dot Net about how to make a constellation infinity scarf! And the space themes continue. ;)

DIY Banana Chips Clay Necklace

When I was growing up, I was obsessed with Sculpey clay. I used the clay and made everything from teeny versions of my dogs, to little armies of penguins, to an entire farmyard of clay barn animals. (I can't even remember how many of my 4-H projects had clay critters in them. :)) As I've gotten older, I kind of forgot about my love for clay until I received the April For the Makers box.


The All-Inclusive Collection


While I really love the Surfside Necklace tutorial that was included in the box, when I saw this version on their blog from another subscriber, I had to try something like it.


Photo by @Kirimoth

To make my Banana Chips Necklace, (Does it not look exactly like banana chips in jewelry form?) you need two different colors of Sculpey clay and some leather cord.




To make the ombre effect, I mixed the yellow and white clay together in different amounts and kneaded + blended them together. Then I rolled them out so they they were all in equal little tube shapes and cut the clay rolls into equal shapes. I rolled those little shapes into balls, squished them into a banana chip shape on a baking sheet, and then cut a hole in the middle.


After I baked the clay, I strung them on the cord and tied a sliding knot. (If you need a better tutorial for the knot, check out the For the Makers tutorial.) :)


A necklace fit for spring.


I took these photos right on Park Avenue where there are these amazing beds of red tulips all up and down the street.


New York in the spring isn't half bad. ♥

More DIY necklaces:

DIY Sparkly Statement Necklace | Mint Sunburst Necklace | Malachite Statement Necklace | Agate Statement Necklace | Montauk Rock Necklace | Pink Ocean Stones Necklace