$900 Giveaway!

Are you ready to win some money to splurge on some summer plans?  I know you are!  I have teamed up with a group of awesome bloggers to co-host a giveaway to celebrate {enjoy the view}'s 2nd blogiversary.

Also, there will be THREE lucky winners, so you have an even better chance of winning.  :)  Woo-hoo!  Make sure to enter in the widget below and...

Good luck!

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I wouldn't have been able to offer you this giveaway without the help of these very special bloggers!

Meet my fabulous co-hosts! All you have to do is click on a picture and you will be magically transported to that blog - and it opens in a new window, so you won't lose your place here.

And I also have some wonderful sponsors! Again, you can just click on a name to be magically transported to that blog in a new page.

Bambu Earth feature!

Guess what?  I have a surprise for you because I have a Shop Small Saturday Showcase for you on a Wednesday!  This is partially so it coincides with an important day and partially because shopping small isn't just for Saturdays.  :)

Bambu Earth is a line of natural, sustainable, and ethical products.  It's pretty much tailor-made for this gal!  I tried all of the items in the picture below: Tea Tree & Lemongrass Soap, Cleanser, Toner, Sugar Glow Facial Polish, and Petitgrain Facial Cream.  Wow, I really felt like I was being pampered in a spa!  Best of all, I love how amazing the scents are without any harsh chemicals.

Lastly, Bambu Earth has its own Kickstarter campaign to bring all of its amazing products to you... in person!  Believe me when I say that the Rewards are pretty, pretty amazing.  In fact, if you end up getting the In-home Spa Event, I think I deserve an invite, right?  ;)

Now, let's get to the interview!

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Tell me a little bit about yourself!

My name is Amber and I'm the founder and CEO of Bambu Earth. I've been making soap for over 12 years now. Almost 3 years ago I took the leap and quit my day job to pursue my passion for making all-natural soap and skin care. I love Jesus and have a huge heart for orphans. I love traveling, cooking from scratch and raising my daughter, Bailey.

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FUN FACT : I protested the circus when I was 18 and almost got arrested. You could say I'm passionate about ethics.. which is basically why I created Bambu Earth.

SOMEDAY : I want 8 kids and a farm. I'd love to adopt and teach children how to grow their own food and make things with their hands. I think those are important things that are undervalued in our culture today.


Where did the name of your store come from?

Our signature ingredient is bamboo activated charcoal. It's an amazing ingredient that draws out impurities from your skin. Bamboo is sustainable, grown without pesticides, and replenishes itself quickly. Actually, bamboo takes about 5 years of nurturing before you even see one sprout. After that, it grows about an inch per day. It grows so rapidly, you can actually hear it growing! We are hoping the work we've put into Bambu Earth over the last 5 years has similar results!

Do Tell Tuesday #34 and features!

I am so excited that you can be here for my favorite day of the week!  First of all, today's Social Share is STUMBLEUPON!

Second, thank you to all of you that linked up a lasagna post, and I hope you caught all of the features in yesterday's post of Unique Lasagna Recipes.  Next week's round-up theme will be...

RASPBERRIES!

Submit your raspberry posts in the linky below or in the comments.  :)  Click here for the full rundown on how to participate and...

Welcome to Do Tell Tuesday!

Say hello to my fellow co-hosts too!

• Tori from Lil' Mrs. Tori
• Lisa from Mabey She Made It
• Cassie from Little Red Window
• Stephanie from Crafting In The Rain
• Melanie from The Crafty Cupboard

They are all lovely and talented, so pop on over and say hello!  Now, let's get to the party!   :)

Recently seen on Vintage Zest...

Craft Rewind: Friendship Bracelets

Tip: How to Squeeze a Toothpaste Tube

Weekly Wrap-Up: White Light White Night and more!

Baia Pasta feature!

Sunday Synopsis

Unique Lasagna Recipe Round-up!

All of us hosts and guest host pick our own features, and we all share the most viewed link too.  If you are all ready to see the features, here we go!

Unique Lasagna Recipe Round-up!

This week I am sharing some unique lasagna recipes with you because tomorrow is National Lasagna Day!  After the mega-roundups for blueberry recipes, strawberry recipes, and Mason jar projects, I wanted to choose just a few, select lasagna recipes that are all uniquely different.  Believe me, these aren't your ordinary lasagna recipes!

Also, remember to link up at tomorrow's Do Tell Tuesday party because next week I will be featuring... RASPBERRY recipes!

Now, let's get to the lasagna!

Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna

This is made with a wonderful homemade (and easy-to-make), spicy tomato sauce that everyone loves!

Lasagna Rollups

Don't want to layer your lasagna?  Roll it up!

Easy Skillet Lasagna

Sunday Synopsis

Happy Sunday!

OmgI'msoexcitedrightnowthatI'mforgettingtobreathe!  Well... I have finally been to the Renegade Craft Fair, and it only took me a few years.  I was always out of town, forgot about it, or had other plans that I couldn't break.  Well, now I'm happy to say that I finally went, and it was great!  I'll wrap it all up next week, but you can head out for the fun today because they're doing it all over again!  :)

Lastly, here are last week's posts in case you missed any.  :)

Sunday Synopsis

Monday:  Over 20 fun Mason jar crafts and recipes!

Tuesday:  Do Tell Tuesday #33 along with awesome features from last week.  :)  Come link up and try to get featured on all six blogs next week!

Wednesday:  Last craft rewind ever.  This time for friendship bracelets!

Thursday:  Find out how to squeeze a toothpaste tube from the bottom the quick and easy way!

Friday:  So much amazing food, and a wonderful event, called White Light White Night on this week's weekly wrap-up!

Saturday:  Baia Pasta is being featured on Shop Small Saturday Showcase.  Check out all of the loveliness!

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Baia Pasta feature!

Time for another Shop Small Saturday Showcase feature, and this one is for all the foodies!  As you may know, I'm a total carb-aholic, so when I first saw Baia Pasta at Artisanal LA... well, I was in love!  I brought home three pastas to try, and I just adored them.  It was so fun to hear how passionate both Renato and Dario are about pasta, and I'm sure you will understand once you see their creations.

I have to admit that I went a little bit collage crazy because I wanted to share all of the pretty colors and shapes that Baia Pasta makes.  :)  Get ready to ooh and aah some beautiful pasta!

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Tell me a little bit about yourself!

I was born and raised in Italy from a family involved in food since generations (wholesaling business of cheese) in an area famous for its food and wines, the Langhe (in Piemonte, the region located at the Northwestern corner of Italy, next to France).  My hometown is where the Slow Food movement was born and has its international headquarters.  I was the international director of Slow Food and actively involved in the organization for 15 years.  I had the desire since moving to the States to switch from Slow Food theory to practice and thought that dry pasta was my chance.  I love dry pasta, always puzzled that you can buy quality dry pasta only made in Italy, even if most of the durum wheat comes from Canada or US.  We started to make dry pasta as a hobby in a forge in San Francisco and then visited pasta places for three months in Italy in 2011.

Where did the name of your store come from?

Baia means Bay in Italian. Our facility is located literally three steps from the Bay. It is a name easy to remember and if you are pitching it at the market it sounds like "Buy-a-pasta"


Why did you start making goods for Baia Pasta?

I wanted to make a pasta using US grains comparable to the ones made by some artisans in Italy. There was none made in the States of good quality.

What is your favorite item?

I love all the types of pasta we produce dearly: they are almost like my kids. If I have to single out one I would say the Paccheri in Semolina. It is a classical Neapolitan shape that I always loved and if I have cravings for pasta I generally pick those.


What is your most popular item?

Weekly Wrap-Up: White Light White Night and more!

This week was an interesting one!  It's always interesting to get back to normal life after a vacation, even just a weekend away.  Let's get to it!

Precap (jump to):

• Sights:  White Light White Night
• Eats:  The Rockhouse, El Pollo Loco, Fish Tale, Umamiburger, zpizza

Before I left Vegas last weekend, we caught the World Cup final at The Rockhouse.

Lots of fun and food for viewing the World Cup.  Can't wait until four years from now!

And since I shared our roadside eats on the way to Vegas, I thought I would share it on the way back home!  We stopped at El Pollo Loco, so everyone could share a family meal.

Tip: How to Squeeze a Toothpaste Tube

Today, I'm bringing you a funny tip that I would like the world to know.  Do you share a toothpaste tube with any significant others, kids, siblings, or someone else who squeezes from the top?

Yep, it's a pet peeve of many, and there are all kinds of gadgets to help.  However, I have a quick tip on how to squeeze the toothpaste to the top in about 5 seconds without any special equipment.  Let's see how!

First of all, it's never a problem when the tube is full or at least 50% full.  When the tube starts to empty, ideally it would end up looking like the tube at the bottom.

However, it's usually squeezed from the top, with all of the toothpaste left at the bottom.  So annoying!

Now, this is what you do.

Craft Rewind: Friendship Bracelets

This is my last craft rewind post!  At least until I find more boxes stuffed with old projects.  :)  I have shared all of my past sewing, crochet, knitting, cross-stitching, and lanyards, and I will end on friendship bracelets!

Yep, that summer camp staple of friendship bracelets, which I loved when I was a kid.  I ended up making some fancier ones as I got older, which you can see below...

I liked using a rainbow of colors, and it was really fun to make different patterns too.  Now, let me point out a couple of special ones.

This one had a rubber cord that gave it a 3-dimensional look.  Notice that it is slightly wavy?  I think it was part of the plan, but I'm not sure...

Do Tell Tuesday #33 with Features!

I am so excited that you can be here for my favorite day of the week!  First of all, today's Social Share is GOOGLE +!

Second, thank you to all of you that linked up a blueberry post, and I hope you caught all of the features in yesterday's post of 20+ Mason Jar Crafts & Recipes.  Next week's round-up theme will be...

LASAGNA!

Submit your lasagna posts in the linky below or in the comments.  :)  Click here for the full rundown on how to participate and...

Welcome to Do Tell Tuesday!

Say hello to my fellow co-hosts too!

• Tori from Lil' Mrs. Tori
• Lisa from Mabey She Made It
• Cassie from Little Red Window
• Stephanie from Crafting In The Rain
• Melanie from The Crafty Cupboard

They are all lovely and talented, so pop on over and say hello!  Now, let's get to the party!   :)

Recently seen on Vintage Zest...

Craft Rewind: Lanyards

Wrap-Up: Craft-Shows Galore

Weekly Wrap-Up: Vegas, Baby!

Clay and Fabric feature & $60 Gift Card GIVEAWAY!

Sunday Synopsis

20+ Mason Jar Crafts & Recipes

All of us hosts and guest host pick our own features, and we all share the most viewed link too.  If you are all ready to see the features, here we go!

20+ Mason Jar Crafts & Recipes

This week, I wanted to do something a little different than the last two roundups of Blueberry & Stawberry recipes.  This time, I have over 20 Mason jar crafts and recipes from the lovely linkers at Do Tell Tuesday!  At first, I was only going to include crafts, but I couldn't help but share a couple cute recipes in jars too.  :)  Looks like I have lots of uses for all those jars that I've been collecting.

Next week, I will be featuring LASAGNA recipes, so make sure to link them up tomorrow at Do Tell Tuesday!

Now, for the Mason jar crafts & recipes!

How to Prep Mason Jars for Upcycling!

Painted Mason Jar

DIY Painted Glass Jars and Bottles

Gold Painted Mason Jars

Sunday Synopsis

Happy Sunday!

Right now, I'm recovering from the 8th annual White Light White Night!  I'll be recapping it on next week's Weekly Synopsis, but in the meantime to see all the fun I had, check out my two Instagram accounts: @vintagezest and @theepisodiceater.  It was super fun!

Lastly, here are last week's posts in case you missed any.  :)

Sunday Synopsis

Monday:  Over 50 delicious strawberry recipes!!!

Tuesday:  Do Tell Tuesday #32 along with awesome features from last week.  :)  Come link up and try to get featured on all six blogs next week!

Wednesday:  Another craft rewind for lanyards, the ultimate summer craft!

Thursday:  All of the fun crafty events I've been to, recapped with lots of pretty pics!

Friday:  It's a weekly wrap-up from my weekend in Vegas!  You'll want to see all the fun and food.  :)

Saturday:  Clay and Fabric is being featured on Shop Small Saturday Showcase, and Amanda is giving a $60 credit to her store!  Wow!

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Clay and Fabric feature & $60 GC GIVEAWAY!

At the last Unique LA show, I met Amanda of Clay and Fabric while looking for some unique gifts.  I just adored her items made of...clay and fabric, of course!  I just love the colors, patterns, and shapes of her pottery and quilts, and for anyone who has something different in mind, she actually does custom work as well!

Now, after all of the eye candy in the pictures below, and the interview so you can get to know Amanda better, she is offering something extra special.  A $60 gift credit to her Etsy shop!  That means that you can peruse her goods and get exactly what you want.  That will definitely be a hard choice for the winner!

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Tell me a little bit about yourself!

I like to call myself a clay and fabric artist.   They are my two favorite mediums.  I have been quilting for over 20 years and doing ceramics for about 10 years and it's only been recently that I combined the two.  I was formally trained as a graphic designer and always had a love of quilting and pottery.   I try to incorporate all three mediums in my work.

Where did the name of your store come from?

Well I love doing quilting and pottery and I wanted to have a name that had both aspects.   I also wanted to leave some room for other new items in the future that may not be quilts or pottery but still made out of clay and fabric.  So I just boiled it down to my base materials and I got my name!


Why did you start making goods for Clay and Fabric?

I've always been making things and I love doing it!  Now I want to share my art with others and make a living out of making things too. I am compelled to craft and make art.  It goes along with being an entrepreneur - making everything I already make wasn't enough, so I went and made a business as well!

What is your favorite item?

Weekly Wrap-Up: Vegas, Baby!

Wow, it's my first Weekly Wrap-Up since May and it's a fun one!  I went to Las Vegas for the weekend, and it's the fourth time making an appearance on Vintage Zest.  (See Visit 1, Visit 2 & Visit 3)  It's been 7 months since my last visit, and it was hot hot hot!


Precap (jump to):

• Eats:  Fatburger, Bouchon Bistro, I ♥ Burgers, Zeffirino, Espressamente illy
• Sights:  Vegas

On the way to Vegas, I remembered to try something out that happened while I was at home and our internet connection got knocked out.  You can use Picmonkey without a network, as long as the window is already open.  Score!

On our drive, stopped at Fatburger, and I thought it would be fun to practice my food blogging for The Episodic Eater.

Besides, nothing beats a burger, fries, and a shake for some great roadside eats!

Once we arrived in Las Vegas, we stayed at The Palazzo, which is enormous!

Wrap-Up: Craft-Shows Galore

Last week, I shared my wrap-up on all the food adventures that you missed out on while I was studying for my test.  There was so much food, that I had to break it up into Part 1 & Part 2!

In the last several weeks, I attended a few fun craft events that I wanted to share with you.  It was so much fun, and this is just a fraction of the pictures I took of all the fun.  Exciting!


In this post (jump to):

• Etsy Craft Party at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles
• Penelope Lane Boutique
• L.A. Sewing Blogger Meet-Up

Etsy Craft Party at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles

On June 6th, Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles, held the 3rd annual Etsy Craft Party on their grounds.  It was so much fun!

Crafted just celebrated their 2nd anniversary, so they had lovely totes for anyone who Instagram-ed and tagged a picture of the event.  It was a good idea to tote all of the craft party items back home!

Here are a few of the projects that were set up all around the area.  The cute succulent mason jar in the middle was featured on the morning news!

There were also free craft booths where you could make cute projects.