ThePigAndThePeacock

We <3 Jingle Bash

We had so much fun at the Jingle Bash and hope you were able make it there to shop and take part inthe festivities! We would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this event the awesome success it was. From the leadership team who works hard to pull it all together, to the volunteers to helped out with everything to the fab shoppers who came out to support the handmade artists of Dallas-You all rock.

I hope you all were able to snag some awesome Bash goodies; I know we personally sold out of all of out gun soaps and Apple Pi soaps. For those of you who got there after we sold out, we have restocked the shop and they are now available online again.

I myself snagged a few goodies, a necklace from Haute Hardware and some zipper pouches from Cut Out and Collect (I can never have too many of those).

 

Stuff those Stockings!

Great stocking stuffers that you will find this weekend at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash!!

 

Shop + Party + Art + Craft

It's that time again...time for the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash! We have been working overtime here at PnP to make lots of goodies to bring to the show! This year we will have some new diffusers, lots more candles, and some new soap scents!

To help you get yor Jingle Bash shopping lists started, I hVe made a little treasury featuring some of the JB artists!

Don't forget- the Jingle Bash is Saturday, November 19th from 1-8pm. Or you can visit www.handmadebash.com to find out how to get a VIP shopping pass to start early!

Check out the entire treasury here: www.etsy.com/treasury/NTc1MDM1NnwxMDE4NDQ2MTIy/shop-party-art-craft?index=0

Krama Yoga D.A.Y

This weekend we participated in Yoga D.A.Y held at the Krama Yoga Center which benefitted the Second Chance SPCA. Both are great organizations that we wanted to share with everyone.

Run by Ricky Tran,The Krama Yoga Centers mission is to provide an authentic healing and transformational yoga experience for practicioners in the Dallas area. I could say tons of things about how great this place is, but I may be biased because Ricky is my cousin. What I will say is I have never know anyone so truly passionate about yoga and dedicated to sharing that passion with others. He is very knowledgeable and patient and a great teacher.

Ricky teaching a class at the Krama Yoga Center

 

The Second Chance SPCA is a no-kill shelter located in Plano, TX. They rescue dogs and cats out of other animal shelters that may be euthanized if not adopted in time. There are tons of great animals just waiting to be adopted into loving homes. This weekends event was to raise money for Second Chance SPCA and get them some of the supplies they need to continue to do good for homeless animals.

Caruso, one of the adorable adoptable dogs at Second Chance SPCA

Sit Down to Stand Up Chair-ity Event

 We have been working on a little project that has taken me out of my comfort zone. Etsy Dallas is hosting a chairity event, called Sit Down to Stand Up, benefitting the Dallas Childrens Advocacy Center (DCAC).

For the chair-ity event, David of Ferrochie made these little chairs for us to decorate in our own quirky crafty style. We wanted to incorporate soap in to our chair design, but what to do, what to do...it wasn't practical to slather it in soap or wax, so I decided that we would incorporate soap into it by using the age old tradition of soap carving! What a great idea! I'll make a peacock and carve it from soap! Then my sister asked if I could actually do it...."Sure" I replied, "how hard could it be?"

I dug out my old clay sculpting tools and got to work. Teal block of soap in place, I suddenly had a flashback to my college art classes and it dawned on my....I sucked at sculpture. Well after some whiddling, I think I did the best I could, and now have a chair soap peacock for the event.

Here is the naked chair I started with:

And here is my soap-chair-peacock creation:

Now all I have to to is weigh down his tail so he dosen't take another beak dive onto the table!

Because We're Geeks at Heart

Those that know us, know we are major geeks at heart. Anything tech, science space, or math related we read or watch. Well we have been geeking out over here at Pig and Peacock, and have made several soaps inspired by our quirky love of math and science.

For math enthusiasts everywhere, we have made Apple Pi () Soap

 

For those who love space, we now have Vintage Robots from Space

We have more on the way that we have not yet listed in our shop, so stay tuned!

Jingle Jingle!

Finally it feels like fall, and if you live in TX, then you know we needed a break from the hades like punishing weather we have had all summer. Fall brings cooler weather, festivites and the onset of the craft show season. We are so excited to be a part of the 4th Annual Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash and will start featuring Jingle Bash artist on our blog on a regular basis. Here is a sneak peak at some of the artists/items that you will find at the show! Mark your calendars for the show, November 19th!

Summer's Almost Over

While it is still 100+ degrees, the end of summer is near, kids are back at school, and fall is popping up everywhere (and Halloween, and Christmass too-gasp!!). So lets say bon voyage to another great summer with a party! I see some outdoor grilling, wine and cocktails in my future. People who know me know I like to throw a good party (anyone who's been to one of our Halloween parties can attest). People, my awesome friends and family, are what make a party great, but I really do believe that those little details and decorations can really pull it all together and make it special. Here are some of my fave finds from Etsy that I am crushing on to get for my party:

First off is food-any good party has yummilicious food. I am loving these grill rubs from PurposeDesign:

And for dessert, these lovely cupcakes from TwoSugarBabies:

Next up-drinks, another party must-have. I love this chalkboard carafe by BraggingBags especially since my BIL makes his own wine in big containers and we could serve up his vino of the month and just mark what it is on the carafe itself!

I also like these letterpress drink stirrers from IdeaChic, super cute!

For just a little decor, TheRufflyOwl's garland, is made from maps of Paris-so cool and the butterflies are perfect for an outdoor party.

And incase you can follow the smell of some good grilling and cool tunes, you can follow this recycled wood sign made by TrueConnection to find us!

DIY Muscle Pain Relief

So last week I apparently pulled a muscle in my calf. Ow. Six days later it still hurts, but at least I am not hobbling like a troll. The key seems to be the right amount of pain relief plus something to keep that muscle warm so it stretches out easily. Well up until I ran out of it earlier this year, I was using some creme from Canada, that, well....you can't buy here. It's key ingredient was Capsaicin (found in Cayenne Pepper)-and it worked awesome. So instead of trying to have my Canadian friends hunt it down for me, I though I would try to find a recipe for one.

So here is is, an all natural recipe for your sore muscles. As always, remember, spot test on a small area first, AND be sure to wash your hands throughly before you accidently rub your eyes or something!

All ingredients should be easily found at can be found at vitamin and/or health food stores

1c Sweet Almond Oil
1tbsp Cayenne Pepper
12 drops Ginger Essential Oil
5 drops Peppermint Oil
15 drops Camphor
5 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

Mix all ingredients in a glass container (preferably one that has a lid) and rub onto your sore muscles.

 

How it works:

Capsaicin, found in Cayenne, reduces the amount of a chemical that transmits pain messages from the skin to the brain-you'll feel a warm sensation too.

Ginger Essential Oil is an analgesic, Peppermint Oil contains menthol which creates a cooling sensation while reducing imflammation.

Camphor stimulates circulation while carrying away pain causing chemicals, and Rosemary Essential Oil also stimulates circulation which helps speed healing time.

 

Welcome to the 4th Annual Jingle Bash

We are happing to be joining over fifty other talented local artists in the Etsy Dallas 4th Annual Jingle Bash! Make sure you save the date-Saturday November 19th! As we get closer to the show we will post more details and some artist bios so you can start making your shopping lists!