Archives for 2012

All in a Day’s Work

March 6, 2012 by Ashley Hackshaw

Lil Blue Boo had a baby today! We got to watch my niece Courtney for a few hours while my sister-in-law took my 2-year-old niece Cari to the desert zoo. Here’s Courtney helping me do some computer work:

Today was really windy but warm. We soon moved outside. She’s the best baby….so content and happy all the time. It was so fun to have her for the day……except for the poopy diaper 😉

Isn’t she precious?!

The girls are still working super hard on sorting spring orders! They are all shipping out this week at the same time. Just finishing up a few t-shirts here and there. Gicela silk screened well over 200 t-shirts yesterday and today……so we started working on some new things to move away from the monotony. So look for some new previews soon! We can’t wait for you to get your packages of spring goodies in the mail. Every piece has been made with love and inspected for perfection. Thank you!

Lisa sent me this photo this morning from across the room. She’s always stealing my awesome stapler….so I gave her this little wimpy one I found while cleaning. I wonder what her message was?

No news from Dr. L’s office today….so maybe that means my scans were unremarkable. Farmer’s market is tomorrow morning!

Photos of the Day: Stargate

March 5, 2012 by Ashley Hackshaw

I had some CT scans today. I always just drive myself because I’m on a mission to get in and out so I can get back to life as quickly as possible. I always ask the nurses to take photos for me. Ever seen the movie Stargate? That’s what the scanner reminds me of. (have you ever noticed I relate everything in my life to movies?)

It is SO freezing cold in that place. I love when they bring me a warm blanket right out of the blanket oven as they hook up the iodine.

Is it just me or is there’s something so wrong about all the warning labels outside the door as you go in.

I didn’t wait to hear any results. I meet with Dr. L on Thursday so I think I’ll just wait until then to hear them….unless he decides to call me for some reason. I’ve got fun stuff to do this week and my time before chemo on Thursday is precious. I’ll let you know when I know…..promise. Tomorrow I get to babysit my little niece Courtney…..you know the one…..the little cutie in my rite of passage video. She’s spending the day at Lil Blue Boo so my sister-in-law Carolyn can spend some quality time with my other niece Cari.

Recycled Crayons (A Tutorial)

March 3, 2012 by Ashley Hackshaw

Recycled crayons have been around forever but Boo and I wanted to share our take on them: colorpillars! These are great as a fun weekend project or as party favors and gifts.

We bought our centipede silicone mold from TJ Maxx….they have some really cute ones at Marshall’s too now and then: dinosaur bones, legos, robots, butterflys etc. You could just do an internet search for “silicon ice cube mold” if you are looking for a specific theme.

I keep a Ziploc bag around to collect broken crayons so we always have a supply of them:

Boo and I broke the crayon pieces into small pieces and filled the molds:

I set the oven to 175 degrees and put the crayons in to melt:

It’s a slow process and took about 30 minutes for them to melt entirely. You don’t want to melt them any faster or the colors will become too soupy and turn a brownish color. Once the crayons were melted I removed the pan from the oven and let the mold cool for about 2 hours.

The finished colorpillars! Aren’t they cute?

A few tips!

1. The smaller the bits of crayon….the better the result. It will take less time for the crayon bits to melt and the colors won’t mix as much. Chop them up using a sharp knife.
2. Using the lowest heat possible on the oven is ideal…..you’ll just have to be REALLY patient for the bits to melt. 150 to 175 degrees is recommended.
3. Allow ample time for the crayons to cool so they won’t break as you remove them from the mold.
4. Stay away from washable crayons….they have a wax in them that will float to the top. I use them anyways just in very small amounts.
5. Don’t mix too many colors….in case you end up heating the crayons too much you’ll keep the colors brighter. Mixing across the color wheel results in brownish colors!
6. Quality of crayon can make a difference! I had some cheap dollar store crayons that took too long to melt and left some large chunks. The color seemed duller too.