Wednesday, June 29, 2011

recycled notebooks

I first made these notebooks after an adventure to Edmonton's Amazing REUSE CENTER! Where I found the floppy disks. I bought a whole bunch of craft supplies for super cheap and they included these old floppy disks. Then using the items below, scissors and a hole punch I was able to create a pretty neat recycled handmade notebook.

Materials include:
Floppy disks (2 per notebook)
Used Paper (written on only 1 side)
Key rings (2 per notebook)
Simply Cut the paper in half and then fold it (used side in). punch the holes (be careful about placement) and put on the key rings. Voila (as I tend to say).




I haven't been to the Toronto Reuse Center since I moved here but intend to go soon and will be writing a review of it. Do you have Reuse centers in your communities? Look it up!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

softest lips around

You know all those handy tips you read in magazines but forget 1 week later? Well this one I never for got and it has to be the tastiest lip exfoliator ever.

What you need:
-Honey
-white sugar
-something to mix them in
THATS IT!

So you put the smallest bit of honey and mix sugar until the consistency is thick and grainy.


 Then rub into your lips and voila. It makes super soft lips after and you can lick off the yummy mixture after.

My Lips with the Yummy mixture 
(it kinda looks like lip Gloss but up close its all lumpy)

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Tattoo thoughts

Tattoos - an idea my mom hates - but something I always knew I would get and have put a lot of thought into also. But I also love looking at tattoos and learning the meanings behind them.
My biggest problem is that I want the tattoo artist to have a lot of say in the design so I have also worked hard not to create a distinct idea.

Anyways... Design*Sponge posted Amanda Wachob's work and it truly opened my mind. here is just one picture but please go to her site and the post on D*S. I find them so beautiful and amazing refreshingly different.. Also I think that even my mom can appreciate the water ones which will fade in time (if only i knew how long!)
how can you not love it?
Some other tattoo artists that I like - there is of course Kat Von D (LA Ink) who does gorgeous portraits and seems to have a great personality with tons of spunk and sass


I dont think I would ever get a portrait (maybe to much of a feeling of being watched??) but if I were to I know which pick I would get... 

My super cool dad
There is also the big debate of color or black and white. now there are metallic inks too!! and I kinda like the idea of sepia-tone coloring.

When I finally decide to get one I will for sure be talking about it on here and would love everyones opinions and will do a review of tattoo parlors before I pick.




Friday, June 24, 2011

Making Bracelets

Remember the t-shirt bracelets from my previous posts?? well I went ahead and made one of them. Yay free jewelry but you will have to go to her post to get the instructions. But here are a few shots of my work.

my t-shirt
cut up into strips (Tip: one thing i noticed was that she
cut hers into strips for a certain length and tied
them together so when I was cutting it I did this but
didnt really need to...)

so this was not necessary


outcome (a bit strange because the fabric on
 the t-shirt changed, try to avoid this)

the pink one worked out better -
tip: try to keep it as tight as possible
And thats it. Easy Peasy. I would love to hear feedback on it you like them, have tried to make them, anything!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

style

My favourite Jewelery:
I have heard a lot about feather hair extensions and am seeing more and more feather earrings in the stores. I think that Feather hair extensions can be worn really well but I haven't taken the initiative to try it yet and have instead relied on these. But I am quite proud of my style initaitive since I bought my first pair over a year ago. 


I wasnt sure at first about having the different
sides no matching but have received tons of compliments

these are my longest pair and they flow wonderfully
my newest ring from a little antique store
said swarovski crystal but I'm not so sure

My amazingly talented friend made this book. Each one
has a different picture (mine is a peacock feather) and certain
letters are larger in order to form a word (mines courage)
Jewelry that I am excited to Make:



can't wait to buy some nuts so I can make both of these

Wish I had a shirt I could cut up but the patterns
are on V and Co.'s wonderful blog

Jewelery I would love to own:



I used to own a spoon ring similar to this but lost it!
I plan on making one out of my family's antique cutlery pieces.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Gone Knitty

I started knitting over christmas and love using it to keep me feeling productive while I watch movies. I did knit when I was young but was never proficient and since I never knew how to cast off my scarves would drag on the floor behind me despite already being wrapped around my neck twice. This time I was inspired because I really wanted a knit headband. You can often find free/cheap patterns online but I decided that going in to the nearby Knitting Store would be worth it for the advice. Though I have to say that YouTube videos were the most amazing resource. I ended up buying yarn that came with a free pattern for an infinity scarf and I was able to make the headband from what I had learnt. 


infitiny scarf and headband
 
some left over yarn and the wonderful fat needles
(any useful ideas?) 
I think they turned out well and my eyes became set on a more ambitious goal, a sweater. I wanted something big and comfy and I'm still not sure that the yarn/pattern I ended up going with is what I was looking for but it still is looking great. I have been working on the sweater for a while now and still have a bit of the body and the sleeves and the neck trim to do. I will post pictures as I go. A tip I would give is to ask people you know if they have the needles you would need for the pattern (saves lots of $$) and to make sure that if you are buying the yarn in the shape below, that you get the staff at the store to turn it into a ball (she was busy and only did one for me but I really regretted this as I had to roll the next one all by myself and it still just isn't the same.

the yarn (picking a colour was SO hard)
Here is how it looks so far

I think that the next step will be learning to cable stitch (already got purling down), maybe just on a gorgeous scarf like below


and these are just too adorable to not show



Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Baking Powder and Sunscreen

My freezer has been collecting bananas gone brown for a while now so I put my free time to good use and made some wonderful Banana Bread (click link for recipe - its easy to make and you don't need any big cooking mixers). It is very chocolaty so cutting down on chips wouldn't be terrible. The biggest lesson from the evening was that baking powder (which I didn't have at my apartment) wasn't really needed at all. The loaf still rose and tastes great. Ps. warm up pieces in the microwave for optimum flavor goodness.

picture from the blog: Dinner with Julie
Being both pasty and have a history of melanoma on both sides of my family made this new video on SUNSCREEN really hit close to home and I hope it makes an impact on your life and that you will pass it on. On the same topic is a video by Baz Lurhman called Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen) which I have memorized and which lululemon has stolen many lessons from for their 'slogans'.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

First Post

I have picked up many new skills coming to University and living on my own. I am really unsure where my life will go but this blog will express a lot of my interests. I was very much inspired by the site, Design*Sponge, my recent acceptance of twitter and its usefulness to follow news and style, and The Burning House.I hope to pass on lots of the things I will learn as I find the Key to Flow. The idea behind the Key is on that is an old antique skeleton key which for me represents the wisdom and beauty in old things. The next few posts will cover some craft ideas, knitting and some easy cooking ideas.

Beautiful skeleton keys