Extra! Extra!

Straight out of BUST Magazine: DYI nail newsprint nail polish. Will try tomorrow, stay tuned for results.

Thanksgiving Traditions

While browsing the internet for something completely off-topic, I came across a website containing recipes for some traditional Native American food. With Thanksgiving around the corner I thought this might be a great source to share... so here it is: Native American Recipes

A nice change from the usual mashed potatoes and gravy, which I still will be serving anyway but this year accompanied by corn pudding and fry bread.

Closet Case Continuum

The pantry in my kitchen was terrible, dirty walls, plastic wall paper in sporadic places, haphazard wooden boards with faux wood-grain shelf liners, and ugly plastic bins. Ugh. Plus it's a very small space, but utilized properly, it could store all the necessities. The previous owner took no pride in his pantry at all. For about a $100 and an afternoon, I transformed the dirty disarray into a static clean delight.

I tore down all pre-existing shelving with pleasure. Demo in small doses is good for the body and soul.
Kilz primer is phenomenal for problem walls; I used three coats - that's how bad the pantry was, and left it the stark white color.

From Home Depot, I purchased two 84" shelf rails, found in the closet system isle, $14 a pop. Matching white brackets, 12 of those and 6 white shelves. Including the primer, I spent $ 98. Demo and patching up took about an hour, after everything dried, I sanded and painted for another hour or so. Installation of the shelving unit took 25 minutes. I am very happy with the results, ... just want to look at the damned thing.

Below is a photo of the fruit of my labor, a nice clean pantry closet that stores everything I need it to. Photo sucks, but you get the idea.

Friends, Beer, Chemistry - Sounds Like a Party!

Ever find yourself in this situation?  Food is all done and out on the buffet table, the music is playing, the grill is hot, friends are ringing the door bell and oh! you forgot to chill the beverages.  Not to worry, science to the rescue. My favorite TV personalities, the Mythbusters, have demonstrated that getting beer to it's perfect drinking temperature takes only 5 minutes. Yes, 5 minutes. How? you ask...

...by adding a mixture of salt & water to the ice in your cooler. The salt melts the ice and lowers the waters freezing point resulting in water that is as much as 10F colder almost instantly.  Use a generous amount of salt for large coolers, just pour it on. Room temperature beverages will chill to perfection in 5 minutes. 

Cheers!

Sun Worship

A friend sent this survey to me, when you have a spare moment, check it out.  As for the self-tanners, there is a rumor that they are just as bad for your skin, so use sparingly till further studies are done.

Closet Case

I am still in the process of moving into the new house, but before I can fully enjoy the new closet space I have to overhaul the tragic colors and ill decisions made by the previous owner.  A small closet should not be painted a dark color and certainly not dark brown.  Dark colors visually shrink spaces and don't scatter the light in an efficient way, resulting in a space that is not pleasant and not very well utilized. Ever hang something up and then not be able to find it 15 minutes later? I hate that.

Well it took some time, but my new closets are now white. A very crisp, clean and chick look. Add a super bright light-bulb and it's fully functional.

The one below is not my own, yet!, but I leave you with this designer closet photo to use for inspiration of your own next crisp white closet.

For Small Business Owners

Here's a link to some helpful tools for small business owners. 

Moving 101

Today I walked through the doors of my new home and my hands were full of bags and boxes.  Thank goodness for my box numbering system, otherwise I would have had a difficult time getting the correct items over to the new house asap.

In the trunk of my car are boxes 17, 21 and 22 containing eating utensils, health and beauty - you know: toothpaste and it's companions; pillows, blankets and Apples to Apples - my favorite game. Everything else can stay behind for now.

Things that are definitely use full to have on the first day:
scissors
screwdriver & hammer
soap
papertowels
windex, clorox, pledge
pens
pins
measuring tape

... this is very exciting!

Moving Mayhem

Nope, not at all actually. I have been packing for the last three weeks and have two more weeks to finish. I gave myself more than enough time to get organized and packed. This is very different from my college years when random items were thrown haphazardly into a large duffel-like bag and tossed onto the back seat of my friends car.

This time around I picked up boxes in three sizes, all relatively small and easy to carry, since most of my possessions are books and fabrics and clothes - all heavy. As I packed each box, on an excel spreadsheet I wrote down what it's contents were; gave it a number and wrote the corresponding digit on the box.

This is going to make my life so much easier when unpacking. I can pick and choose which box to place in what room, but also which box to unpack when. My winter coats and sketchbooks can hang out in their box for a few, my binders and millinery tools can not.

Childhood Favorite

One of my lovely bridesmaids sent me a link to Martha Stewart's "Good Cootie Catcher" - the idea is cute but the design of it is very basic. I customized mine and made it my own using an ornate font and changing the rules back. Let me know what you think!

Nail Fashion!

Over the last few years I have become more and more obsessed with nail polish, the more unique the color, the better. I dare not say how many bottles of the colorful flammable joy I own. But single color will no longer do. I want more! Japanese Fashion to the rescue. In the last few issues of Vivi, the models and Japanese celebrities have the craziest nails; very colorful with jewels, lace and glitter. You have seen them on Lady Gaga and Fergie. So! How to Make? ;)

Follow these steps for the basic method.

Step One: Clean off whatever nail polish you have on the nail.


Step Two: Use a clear coat of nail polish as base for your color. Later on it will be easier to remove the color, especially dark saturated polishes. I like to use Sally Hansen's Insta-Dry... because it dries, er, instantly.


Step Three: Apply one coat of desired color. Here I will be using Sally Hansen's Insta-Dry "Night Flight" it's black.


Step Four: You will need your gems, jewels and sparkly things here. Make sure they have a flat surface, otherwise they will fall off. Apply the gems while the polish is still wet, use tweezers for better accuracy. If the polish dries up before you place the gems, dab a little of the clear coat as adhesive.




Step Five: Using nail art polishes like SH's Nail Art Pen or Milani's Nail Art Brush draw in detail around your gems.

Step Six: Wait till dry and top off with the clear top coat.


Step Seven: Have FUN! :D

Tutorials

Please check out my new tutorial for a very versatile embellishment; yoyos. Easy to make. Millions of possibilities.

http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/embellishments-yoyos

I am not licking all those envelopes!

Until self-sealing envelopes are the inexpensive standard we have to stick to the good ol' dry glue envelope. Just discovered a great new way to moisten the glue strip without getting water all over the desk. Polar fleece! It works very well, it holds the water, so no dripping and glides smoothly unlike paper towels. Highly reccomend it! and before you go and cut up your old fleece sweatshirts or scarves, message me, I will send you a swatch. :)

Need to know how to fold a napkin? Look no more, just click here and here. Enjoy!

Creative Stamps

I really did not like the "wedding" theme stamps that the USPS had to offer, so I was not about to do that for my own engagement party invitations. I looked through the stamp catalog and decided to create a vintage look with the "American" collection.