Stars for Streetlights

Project 365: Week 4 + How to take Through the Viewfinder Photos

2012-01-26T23:28:00.001-05:00

This post is part of my Project 365 where I am taking one photo every day for a year. Click here to see all of my photos in the series-- and if you want to join, feel free to do so anytime! :)

20/365: ISO: 800 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/60

1-20-12 Curling up with a new book before bed. I just started reading a book on flash called Sketching Lightby Joe McNally. I really love his writing style-- he has a clear and funny tone even when he talks about something as technical as flash.

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1-21-12 Frosty bricks. A rare thing this year.

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1-22-12 A bleak birdhouse on a foggy Sunday.

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1-23-12 Last week I talked about a version of "Through the Viewfinder" that I created with my Argus Seventy-Five camera. This week I actually did the whole shebang.

To take a "Through the Viewfinder" photo, or TTV, you need to build a shaft around the viewfinder of a twin-lens reflex camera. (Mine's not so pretty, I know. But it works!) :)

This allows your camera to focus on the viewfinder of the vintage camera with your digital camera. You have to make sure the shaft is light-tight.

Materials for the project: cardboard, a stapler, the sleeve of a dark t-shirt, tape, and a twin-lens reflex camera. You can find these camera for dirt-cheap prices on Ebay or in thrift stores. Better yet, ask an older relative. Chances are someone has one up in their attic somewhere.

After I taped the cardboard around the camera so that it became light-tight, I took the sleeve of my t-shirt and stapled it to the top. This is so that you can block out all the light by wrapping the shirt around your digital camera's lens. I did not staple the end of the sleeve that has the hem, that end will come in handy for the next step.

After you have it all stapled on, make a little slit in the hemmed end of your t-shirt sleeve. Then you can slide a little piece of string or ribbon inside the hem's tube of fabric so that you can pull the shirt tight around your lens. Think of it as like the top of a laundry bag closing around your camera lens. Then look through your digital camera's viewfinder and focus on the viewfinder down the cardboard shaft. Snap away! :) (More TTV below. I just didn't want to get my Project 365 out of order. Gotta stay true to the project!)

24/365: ISO: 800 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/80

1-24-12 My antler necklace rack with a bracelet I bought in the Salt Lake City airport when I flew back home from roadtrippin' out West this summer.

25/365: The profile photos for Scarves Dot Net's Google+ page!

1-25-12 This is a special one. I made this animated gif at work for the brand-spankin' new Scarves.Net that went live this week! (Eeee!) If you head over, you can see the photos that I took for the homepage. :) Photoshoots with the scarf girls are so fun, but what workday wouldn't be fun with a bit of confetti and some glitter? ;) *PS: I'll write a tutorial on how to make your Google+ profile images animated in the next few days or so.

We've also made a video for the launch.

And now the final photo for a very discombobulated week 4 post... (sorry bout that) ;)

26/365: ISO: 1600 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/80

1-26-12 More tinkering with the TTV technique. I bought one of these globes at a thrift store. The other I had growing up. You can find my black and white chevron rug here. :)

*Whew!

For more photography tips, see this post on digital photography tips for beginners. You can also check out the rest of my photos from the year for my Project 365!

If you want, you can always join the project!

Polaroid Post: Glamby the Deer

2012-01-25T21:10:00.000-05:00

I took this Polaroid last fall when I was still in school-- it's hard to see, but behind all those dripping Polaroid chemicals there is a leaping, rhinestone encrusted deer. Last year when I was the editor of a literary review at DePauw, I took this Polaroid to introduce the art section of the book.

One thing I like about this photo is the fact that it's a bit twisted from the messed up chemicals. Usually it really peeves me when my film doesn't work correctly, but for this photo it fits. You see, this sculpture titled "Fits and Starts" created quite a bit of controversy at my school before I attended there. It was donated to the school in 2005 by a foundation-- the foundation paid $60,000 for the sculpture. Opinions divided over the glittery deer, but a few students took their opinions too far and vandalized ol' Glamby. (They sawed off his antlers, among other things.) Professors and students exploded over the immaturity and intolerance of the art-haters and there were such strong feelings about the incident that the legend of Glamby still prowled the dorms and halls of the university by the time I got there in 2007. There's even a documentary. (Check out the screen shots of Facebook from the time. Crazy!)

Somehow the craziness of my camera and the unpredictable nature of the Impossible Project film captured the essence of Glamby's fame and infamy. Sure, as always with art, you can argue that I'm seeing what I want to see. Tea leaves and all that nonsense. But accident or not, this photo is symbolic of what that bedazzled deer means to everyone who knows the story.

*Photo taken with my Polaroid SX-70.

How to Make a Toothbrush Bracelet

2012-01-24T21:43:00.000-05:00

It seems that I'm into things made of household items-- from fork bracelets to pushpin shoes, there's a trend there. ;)

What you need to make a toothbrush bracelet:
♥Toothbrush
♥Pliers
♥Pot and stove

The first thing you need to do is put the toothbrush in boiling water. I recommend the cheapest toothbrush you can find, whether that's at the Dollar Store or wherever-- just as long as it is the simple kind. I tried this with a Snoopy toothbrush for kids and it did not work. You need the clear plastic kind.

After you have let the toothbrush boil for about a minute, (or until it gets soft) you can easily pull out the bristles with your pliers. After you've pulled out all the bristles and those weird little metal pieces, stick the toothbrush back into the boiling pot until it becomes as floppy as Harry Potter's boneless arm after Professor Lockhart accidentally "healed" him. (Yeah. I went there. But it really reminds me of that scene in the book! Try it. You'll see. ;))

Bend the toothbrush until it fits your wrist. You might have to put it back into the boiling water to adjust sections, but if you have the right kind of toothbrush it should work well. Don't burn yourself!

Ta da! The dinosaur toothbrush is a toothbrush bracelet I made when I was in junior high-- and if you have a middle-school-aged kid, this bracelet is quite a hit among that age group. ;)

DIY Pom Pom Corsage

2012-01-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

Two things my wardrobe is never and has never been short of: bright colors and accessories. On my first day of high school, I wore this hot pink skirt with these hot pink fishnet tights and hot pink sneakers. (eep.) A girl I played basketball with told me months later that the first day she met me, she actually thought I was some sort of a "pink gothic" girl or something. I also ran cross country for 7 years and I used to run at practice in these long dangly earrings. Occasionally I wore these glittery blue sunglasses, too. Sure, I was teased (often) for the things I wore... one cross country teammate, a boy, asked me every time I wore my zebra-print running tights if I robbed the zoo. He would walk away giggling in a Quasimodo-meets-high-school-boy style.

I want to make clear that I was never bullied or anything, the teasing rarely bothered me... and honestly when you French braid Christmas tinsel into your hair for school, you deserve to be picked on. (Yeah, I also did that.) About a month ago I asked my boyfriend if he was ever embarrassed to be around me in high school, (we've been dating since then) and he paused a bit and said,"Not really... Weird girls are cute too." Hahahahha. Thanks. Thanks a lot. ;)

That being said, I am really working on my tendencies to over-accessorize. Take these little pom pom corsages I just made. I took OFF my necklace and earrings because I thought a cluster of little poofs was enough accessorizing for this look. I truly am working on my accessory hoarding, but it sure does NOT help that I work for a scarf store. ;)

To make these little pom pom corsages, you need:

♥Fabric (I like using cotton or thin fabrics for this. The plasticky fabrics are hard to sew through.)
♥Scissors
♥Thicker fabric like felt
♥Needle and thread
♥Hot glue gun
♥Safety pin or a broach pin

Step 1: Start by cutting a bunch of little circles out of fabric. I would say at least 10 for one pom pom corsage.

One easy way to cut out circles is to fold a square piece of fabric in fourths and then making a round cut from corner to corner. After you have the circles, you can fold them back into fourths and stitch the pointy corners together.

Fold the circles in fourths like this. Then you need to add more and more folded circles until your poof is fluffy enough.

Stitch the folded circles together in the middle. Once you let go of the little circles, they will fluff up like petals. Add more and more folded circles until you get a pom pom flower that looks full.

Step 3: I used this furry fabric for the backing of the corsage, but you can use anything thick like felt. I stitched broach pins to the fabric, but safety pins would also work. I sewed the pin to the backing and then used a hot glue gun to attach the flower to the backing with the pin. Here is mine:

(Cool tip-- if you use a pin as your backing, you can always slip a bobby pin into the pin and pin the corsage into your hair for a hair accessory.)

And there you go! Fluff the flower to taste and then pin it on your favorite cardigan or blazer. Hope this helps all the other accessory addicts out there. ;)

Project 365: Week 3

2012-01-20T08:37:00.000-05:00

This post is part of my Project 365 where I am taking one photo every day for a year. Click here to see all of my photos in the series-- and if you want to join, feel free to do so anytime! :)

1-13-12 (Self timer shot) This is one of the stills from a stop-motion that I am working on for work. :D

14/365: ISO: 1600 f/2.5 Shutter Speed: 1/2500

1-14-12 This is Bridget's nose. I swear this dog is the wiggliest little critter. I spent 20 minutes trying to get her to sit still enough so that I could snap her cute little dog nose. I love the fur in focus under her nose.

15/365: ISO: 800 f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/125

1-15-12 Framed collection of my favorite Polaroids. From NYC, to San Juan, PR, to New Jersey, Greencastle, IN, and home-- these are some of my favorite places and they hang over the best space... my bed. :)

16/365: ISO: 400 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/250

1-16-12 This week we made an internet time capsule at work that we'll open in five years or so. We included screen shots of our favorite blogs and social sites like FB, Twitter, and Pinterest. Miss Molly (in the photo) is cute as a coat button and also included her favorite magazines. (You know, in case they're ancient history in five years.)

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1-17-12 Some of my favorite photography books.

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1-18-12 My b-team of Polaroids. The ones that aren't perfect for framing or they're new. :)

19/365: ISO: 800 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/60

1-19-12 I decided to play around a bit with this photo-- it is a variation on a "through the viewfinder" photo where you use a twin-lens reflex camera and make a contraption to take a photo through the vintage viewfinder. I thought the photo of what was in the viewfinder was pretty cool by itself-- I am working on some cardboard to go on the outside of the twin-lens camera so that I can play a bit more with the camera.

(The camera in the viewfinder is my vintage Diana camera. I got it on Etsy for super cheap! It is actually a toy Diana from when they were cheap in the 1960s... instead of the $50 they sell for now.)

The camera above is an Argus "Seventy-Five" that was given to me as a gift. I have tried film in it once and got a few mediocre shots, but I love doing "through the viewfinder" photos. :)

For more photography tips, see this post on digital photography tips for beginners. You can also check out the rest of my photos from the year for my Project 365!

If you want, you can always join the project!

15 Ways to Tie Scarves

2012-01-19T13:46:00.000-05:00

Go over to The Fashion Spot to see the graphic I made on 15 Ways to Wear Scarves! You can also find out where to find the scarves and how to tie the scarves. There are quite a few of my favorites in there. ;)

Photo Series: Twenty-Something Women and the Things They Sleep With

2012-01-17T22:51:00.001-05:00

I have very few regrets from my college experience, but if I could do one thing over, I would have taken more photography classes. Spanish class was fun, (kind of) but I was never very good or passionate for the language and I developed a habit of sitting next to the loudest (or most gifted) students so that the professor would call on them and I wouldn't have to stumble through a bunch of botched conjugations. Last fall, I took a black and white film photography class and it was one of my favorite classes... ever. That semester I had just returned from a semester in New York where I became obsessed with Polaroid, took my camera everywhere as my travel companion, and read photography books on the subway ALL the time. (Photography books I bought from the Borders at Columbus Circle! RIP. :( ) Growing as a photographer was, and still is, a huge priority and aspiration of mine.

The photography class I took last fall helped me so much and I cannot emphasize enough the growth and grasp you get working with film. With digital photography you can guess and check your results. It is slow, but you can do it. With film, there is a tangible nature to the whole process and guessing is wasteful. Film involves math, precision, and a feeling of second-nature familiarity for your camera that you usually develop with a trusty car.

The series below was one of my projects for that photography class-- the portrait project. All of them were taken in my sorority. I asked my friends if anyone still slept with anything special to them, and these are the things they shared.

One thing I learned about taking portraits when I worked on this project is a bit on how to act behind the camera. People (myself included) are always trying to make faces and put up masks when someone comes at them with a camera. We don't want to look silly so we make silly faces so that at least if we look silly, it was on purpose. After taking a few warm-up shots, I asked my friends, "Ok, just look at the camera. Try not to think of anything. Just look at me." Their faces would straighten for a split-second and then *snap. I got it. :)

"Twenty-Something Women and the Things They Sleep With"

Me, with "Baby"

Ha, with "Baby Pooh"

Tiamo, with her pillow from her parents

Pria, with Laurens de Groot

Jackie, with Lefty

As I said in my post about photography tips for beginners, if you have even the slightest interest in photography and you have an open class slot. Take film photography. Take it so you won't regret it later. :)

Giant Owl Pillow DIY

2012-01-16T23:37:00.003-05:00

(A while back, I blogged about my room makeover, here is my latest project.)

Mmmmm. One of the best places in the world. Or my world at least. The newest addition to my room is that big old owl right in the middle. And when I say big old owl, I mean old. The pillow inside of the owl I made is actually from when I was thirteen-- ten years ago. I'm usually not one for throwing things away, I do have some hoarding tendencies, (I think all crafters do, really) but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of the best and comfiest pillow I own. so I just recovered it. In an owl. :)

Because I was just recovering an old pillow, I didn't have a pattern or anything. If you have a large pillow that you want to cover, you just need to measure out your pillow, allow some room for seam allowances, and then just cut out some shapes, stitch them together, and stuff your pillow into it.

I pinned the fabric shapes to the base fabric, and then used the blanket stitch setting on my sewing machine to stitch it all together.

I bought the fabric remnants at my local antique shop, Salvage Sisters. If you are ever in the Indianapolis area, I definitely recommend this shop. :)

Side view-- corduroy remnants.

The doll on the left is actually my first doll ever, her name is "Baby". Creative, I know. Most of my friends are creeped out by her. I mean, I couldn't imagine why with those natural dread locks and all. ;)

PS: And speaking of owls, I saw a gigantic barred owl on Sunday when I came back to my house from a run. It was sitting up in a huge sycamore tree on our land... Those creatures are just plain regal. I tried to get a photo, but he swooped away right when I got out the camera. There are also rumors of an eagle roaming around these parts of central Indiana-- a few weeks ago I saw this HUGE dark bird sitting in a tree on my run route. (What is it about my runs and these birds lately?) A farmer in the area also reported that he saw an eagle... (A BALD eagle. A female.) (!!!) :)

PPS: Go check out my post on Shrimp and Salad Circus on photography tips! :)

How to Doodle on Photos

2012-01-15T22:37:00.001-05:00

Confession: I am a blogaholic. It all started three years ago in college when I first found a few fashion blogs after reading Teen Vogue. (Don't knock it. I love that magazine.) After reading one blog, finding another, and another, and falling down the rabbit hole that is the internet, I sit here now behind my Macbook writing from the depths of that webby black hole. While my addiction to blogs is time consuming and the only cure to blogaholism is a little snip snip to the wireless router, I wouldn't have it any other way.

The best thing about my blog addiction (and my job) is that I have become a bit of a Google search ninja. There are times where I hit a Google wall, though, and I do get stumped. Doodling on photos is a perfect example-- I have been trying to figure out how to virtually doodle for a couple months! I tried different search queries, advanced search queries... "how to draw on pictures", "how to doodle on photos", "draw in paint on photos with tablet"... I got nothing! I even commented on a few blogs I love and asked them, "How in the heck do you doodle that cool stuff on your pictures?" Still nothing. So, I asked our graphic designer at work. And she told me. :) (Although in retrospect, any self-respecting person who knows how to doodle on photos is probably some sort of a graphic designer and they would never call it, "doodling on photos.") Ha.

This is all you need! A graphic tabletand the little pen that goes with it. I actually got my graphic tablet from Amazon for $30! I really, really love it. The first day I had the tablet, I was using it in programs like Gimp and Pixlr but the brushes were not smooth and it looked like I did something with my mouse in MS Paint. Blech. I was *this close* to returning the tablet because I thought it was no good, when I read Monica's recommendation on the program Pixelmator. (She has the cutest picture doodles on her blog. :))

THIS PROGRAM IS AMAZING. It is the closest thing I've ever come to Photoshop. It is only 30$ as well-- the brushes are smooth, the filters are great, and I love the control that you can have over the image. If you're a beginner who has had a little bit of experience with Photoshop but don't want to shell out the cash for the real deal, this program is what you want.

So just to recap:

What you need to doodle on photos:

♥Pixelmator Mac only, unfortunately. :(
♥Graphic Tablet

*Update-- you can use other programs for a PC to doodle on photos, I should have mentioned this. I am sure Photoshop would be incredible, I just didn't note it above because I haven't tried it with PS yet. :) This is just what I used. (Thanks Michelle!) :)

That's it! Then you can do cool stuff like this. :) The pen just acts like a mouse and you can do whatever you'd like.

Doodle on NYC.

Doodle on a globe.

Doodle on your dog.

I also use this for work. :) (Click if you actually want to know how to braid a scarf.)

**Unfortunately the doodle pad does not correct bad handwriting if you already have that. ;)

Good luck!

PS: Hilarious thing that Sarah told me at work on Friday. Did you know that every month, 74,000 people search in Google, "Where are my glasses?"

Hahahahaha I have told that to probably 10 people this weekend and it still never gets old. ;)

DIY Anthropologie-Inspired Scarf Necklace

2012-01-13T13:24:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned how awesome my job at the scarf store is? Yesterday I finished a post for my work blog where I wrote about how to make an Anthropologie scarf necklace-- go check it out! :)

Project 365: Week 2

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

This post is part of my Project 365 where I am taking one photo every day for a year. Click here to see all of my photos in the series-- and if you want to join, feel free to do so anytime! :)

5/365:

1-6-12 The owl lamp in this photo was actually taken by my cell phone and printed on a Polaroid Zink printer that I talked about in another post. I love this little printer for many reasons, but 1.) The photos are stickers! I love giving them away! and 2.) They are really fun to manipulate. Polaroid also just came out with a new camera that uses the Zink paper. (!!!)

6/365: ISO: 400 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/250

1-7-12 This photo is of my lace-up boots that I bought for $9! They are one of my favorite finds from theantique/thrift stores-- and that's saying something. ;) I also submitted them to Modcloth's "Fave Find" blog feature a while back and they made it on!

7/365: ISO: 800 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/60

1-8-12 Two of these dolls I've had for ages-- they used to sit on my dresser when I was a girl growing up. One time when I was a kid, I accidentally broke the little white baby's porcelain head. I freaked out and tried to hide it from my mom for years. I remember painstakingly superglueing her head back together and panicking because there was one little porcelain shard missing. (She never got mad.) Last spring, I saw the blue baby in my favorite thrift store in Greencastle, IN... it was $2! So now I have two little babies to sit on the lap of my great-grandma's gold-headed doll. (Some dolls are creepy McCreepytown, but I love the old, old porcelain dolls like the ones I've got. :))

8/365: ISO: 800 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/60

1-9-12 I figured out how to watch Downton Abbey on Netflix with my iPod while I edit photos. :D

9/365: ISO: 800 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/50

1-10-12 Even though I really like this photo of the moon, the day before this photo was taken when I was driving to work, the moon was ON the horizon. I was kicking myself because that was the one day I didn't bring my camera to work. So I got the slightly-less-cool-looking moon the next day. :)

10/365: ISO: 200 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/40

1-11-12 In this photo I was playing with out-of-focus photos because I think it looks a bit like a painting. I was also messing around with bokeh effects, but I was more successful in the next photo.

11/365: ISO: 400 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/40

1-12-12 For this photo I finally got some obvious bokeh effects on the light. This photo is of a table full of candles. I want to try something with headlights or streetlights next. To do bokeh effects, you need an SLR camera, (A camera with a lens where you can adjust the focus.)

Here's how to do the bokeh effect for yourself:

You need to cut out any shape in a piece of dark paper that fits to your lens. Do NOT tape the paper directly to your lens-- I taped mine on the outside, but I've also seen people tape it to their UV filter.

Tips:
-You need to open the aperture of your camera as wide as it will go, (to the lowest number you have. A lot of kit lenses, (lenses that come with the camera) will only go down to 3.5 aperture. I am not sure if this will work, but you can try! :) My lens goes down to f/1.8. I highly recommend my lens. :)

-To get the lights to turn into whatever shape you want, you need to make sure the lights are in the background and the camera is focused on the foreground. I just reached out my hand and focused on my hand, turned the autofocus off, and snapped what normally would be called a really blurry photo.

-I've also seen really cool bokeh photos with Christmas lights.

Try it out! ;)

For more photography tips, see this post on digital photography tips for beginners. You can also check out the rest of my photos from the year for my Project 365!

If you want, you can always join the project!

Polaroid Post: Time to Move Here

2012-01-11T22:41:00.003-05:00

It rained all day here... And normally I love the cold. (I HATE the feel of jean shorts. Blech.) But it's time to move to Hawaii for a month or so. I can work remotely, yes?

And sheesh. I could decorate a whole kitchen in the colors of this Polaroid. *swoon

DIY Pom Pom Necklace

2012-01-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

Tassels and fringe are pretty darn cute, but when it comes to trimmings, I am a sucker for little pom poms. A while back, I found this silk pom pom necklace by Stella McCartney and I've been meaning to try it ever since.

I bought my pom pom trim over at Fabric.com. I have to say, I work for a little mom and pop e-commerce store, and I think we're really cool. So when I see another e-commerce store with personality, great products, and a history, I get all fuzzy and my heart just stretches at the seams. (Get it? Sewing?) ;) Plus, I love their customer service video.

All you need to make your own version are some necklace clasps and a pair of pliers. You could even use a tiny piece of chain and a lobster clasp sewn on each end.

Wearing my vintage boots that were featured on the "Fave Finds" feature on Modcloth's blog. I wish I could wear these to work more-- unfortunately I take my shoes off too much and sit cross-legged in my chair. These boots take a bit of time to lace up.

Also, another t-shirt necklace:

Go over to my post on The Fashion Spot to see how this one is made!

How to Make a Wallet with Fused Plastic Bags

2012-01-08T15:01:00.001-05:00

One thing I hate about grocery bags is that they just keep piling up. I know, I know, I know, I could recycle the little guys or use reusable grocery totes, but I consider it a victory when I recycle all my cans and bottles. Whenever I'm in a store, I always try and ask the cashier if I can skip the bag by saying, "Oh I don't need a bag," and then motion to my purse. Sometimes they just ignore my feeble request or they'll give me a little winky-face-condescending-nod and say something along the lines of "Oh don't worry, I can give you a bag, honey." (No! You don't understand! I hate bags!)

I will say that I love the people at Goodwill, though. When I tell them I will just carry my stuff out and that I don't need a bag, they listen. Most of the time they just shrug their shoulders with a "Whatever," but I still appreciate that they listen. ;)

But in terms of my personal war with plastic bags, for once I was glad that I have a stash of bags underneath my dresser when I made this wallet. I found this tutorial on how to fuse plastic bags from the Etsy Labs blog and I got to work!

What you need to make a fused plastic bag wallet:

♥ Plastic bags
♥ Iron
♥ Waxed paper or parchment paper
♥ Towel

The first thing you need to do is lay down the towel and a piece of waxed paper. The towel isn't totally necessary, but I didn't want to get anything on the ironing board. Next you need to layer a few pieces of plastic bag on top of each other to iron. For thicker plastic bags like shopping bags, I used 2-3 layers of plastic. For grocery bags like the bags from Walmart or Kroger, I used about 6 layers. Then you can put another piece of waxed paper on top and then iron! (Put the setting on silk or synthetic, the cotton is way too hot. Also, I used a tea towel between the waxed paper and the iron so that there wouldn't be any waxy stuff on the iron.)

After you have some pieces of fused plastic, you can cut out little designs on them. I loved the polka dots on this H&M bag so I cut some zigzags to complement them. :) Fuse those together as well.

For the wallet, (or clutch, or whatever you're making) you need to cut two rectangles of the same size. If you want a little pocket inside your wallet, cut a smaller rectangle. After you cut them out, just stitch them together with a sewing machine! My sewing machine can do fun little stitches, but a regular stitch or a zigzag stitch can look awesome as well.

Close-up of the pocket.

And that's it! A funky place to stash your cash. These would make great little gifts for people.

PS: I first saw fused plastic bags when I was in a trashion show with my friend Kelsey-- she made a dress out of fused plastic bags. Then, last year, my friend Bri also made a dress out of fused plastic bags! Incredible.

The dress I am wearing is my t-shirt rose dress from a few years back.

Project 365: Week 1

2012-01-06T00:14:00.000-05:00

This post is part of my Project 365 where I am taking one photo every day for a year. Click here to see all of my photos in the series-- and if you want to join, feel free to do so anytime! :)

2/365: ISO: 800 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/80

1-2-11 I think this photo of my boyfriend, Sean, is so cute because it highlights one detail about him that I find adorable and infuriating at the same time. See that little tuft of hair in the top left corner? Besides a few six-year-olds I know, I've never met anyone more resistant to haircuts and combs in my life. Sean refuses to get a proper haircut, (even when I offer to pay for it!) so he always has a friend (or me) cut it for him. I took this photo the night before he had to fly back to school in New Jersey.

2/365: ISO: 400 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/80

1-3-11 A camera necklace my mom gave me for Christmas. :) I still need to work on my indoor photos. (Find the camera necklace here.)

2/365: ISO: 800 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/100

1-4-11 Ever look at something so normal and mundane and then realize it is actually kind of pretty? The design of my speedometer just kind of struck me yesterday.

2/365: ISO: 400 f/8.0 Shutter Speed: 1/100

1-5-11 Tonight when I got home from work, I looked up and the clouds looked like cotton candy. I didn't edit any of this photo except to crop it. I'm going to try more and more to edit in the camera-- edit before I shoot the photo. :)

*PS-- This is a short post for my Project 365 since I just started on the 1st, but next week I will have a full 7 photos. :)

DIY Vinyl Record Bowls

2012-01-05T00:35:00.000-05:00

I got the idea to make these little bowls a few years ago when I bought Mark Montano's book, the Big-Arse Book of Crafts
. (Mark Montano is the most brilliant crafter around-- I love his books and his projects.) One bowl I made sits on my dresser and holds little hair knickknacks, and I gave a few bowls away, but I never got around to writing a tutorial about it.

To make a vinyl record bowl you need:

-Real bowl (One that can go in the oven.)
-A vinyl record (I chose some polka records because I liked their colors. Also, I love the word "Polka.") :)
-An oven

This project is so easy and fun. The first thing you need to do is turn on your oven to about 350 degrees. Then you take your record and your bowl and rest them inside the oven once it has heated up a bit. Wait until the record starts to warp a bit and then take it out of the oven.

After you take it out of the oven, just press the record down into any bowl or shape that you want. You can make a square record bowl, an oblong record bowl, whatever you want. I got my best results when I used a glass mixing bowl-- the height of the bowl made the sides of the record curl up really nice when I stuck it in there.

Hold your record in place inside the bowl until it hardens again.

(My favorite one.)

And that's it!

You can keep whatever you want in these bowls, I think I am going to take mine to work and put them on my desk. I have a bit of a Post-It/knickknack organization problem... These might help. ;)

DIY Vintage Suitcase Table

2012-01-02T23:22:00.001-05:00

One fact about my mom: she is a hardcore Pinterest pinner. She is also really good at choosing/making gifts for Christmas. (I mean really good.) Last year my mom picked up on my love for stacking suitcases and painted some suitcases white for me. This year, inspired by Pinterest of course, my mom and dad made me this amazing table from an old suitcase.

My dad made the legs and base and my mom painted and redid the inside of the suitcase. My parents are pretty crafty folks. :)

To redo the inside, my mom used upholstery fabric, cut it to size, and then used some hot glue. All of the suitcases I bought for myself have the original (sometimes iffy) lining inside them. The ones from my mom are all pretty and nice-smelling. :)

The little train case was also a Christmas gift from my boyfriend, Sean, last year. The little fox on top is a little wool critter I bought at a fiber arts festival in Greencastle, IN.

;)

A little rabbit dish where I keep little knickknacks and my rainbow Polaroid Land Camera.

Right now I am keeping some of the little bows from my tutorial and hair flowers.

A vintage globe I've had since I was a kid.

I am really running out of room in my bedroom with all of the furniture I've been working on this year. From reupholstered chairs, to refinished furniture and all the other homey odds and ends I've collected, I really need a house/apartment to furnish. :) The whole post-graduate-living-at-home-paying-off-student-loan thing is great for delicious food, company, and craft supplies... but it really stinks for space. Usually I take over my little sister's room and make it into my Etsy store/photo studio/annex, but she gets really grumpy if I leave anything in there when she comes home.

But where am I supposed to put things to make room for awesome things like suitcase tables? :)

My New Year's Resolution: Project 365

2012-01-01T20:57:00.000-05:00

♥♥♥Happy New Year!♥♥♥

So one thing about me: I am pretty terrible about writing things down. One time in college, I completely spaced turning in a poetry assignment. That day I made a vow to myself that I would write down every single assignment from there on out… and that lasted about 2 weeks. Occasionally I will write down a few things now and then, but for the most part, my planner is of the virtual kind in my noggin.

I’m usually not one to stick to resolutions either, but this year I am actually going to make one. Or two.

Resolution #1: Project 365

(Or 366 for 2012… but that doesn’t sound as good. ☺)

This year I am going to take a photo every single day and share all of my pictures on here in a roundup post with a tip or two. Like I said in my post about photography tips, photography is one of those things that you just have to do to get better. And even though I’ve just got a little Nikon D40, I want to push that little guy to the best of his ability and learn in the process. ☺

If anyone wants to join this project, feel free to join anytime! You can take the little badge that I’ve put in my sidebar if you’d like as well. ☺ Here’s to becoming a better photographer in 2012!

1/365: ISO: 1600 f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/40

(It was very dark in the room, hence the high ISO and graininess.)

This weekend my boyfriend, Sean, and I went down to Atlanta to visit Sean's older brother. Technically I did not take this photo since I didn't push down the shutter, but I did set up all the settings. Plus, I thought it would be fitting to have this photo as the first one... New year. New adventures. The best people. ;)

I did, however, take this photo:

Hehe. ;)

Resolution #2: Write down what I do everyday.

This year I also plan to work on the whole “I’m bad at writing stuff down” thing… in stages. I just bought this cute little planner from Kate Sutton after seeing Chaplinn's post about it on her blog. I am not going to keep a diary or anything, but I do want to write down at least one thing that I did every day. Even if it’s boring. ☺

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s! Here’s to 2012 being the best yet.

This photo: ISO:400 (Not too grainy) f/1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/4 second.

(The Atlanta Skyline from the roof we were on last night. ☺)

Art and Fashion: Piet Mondrian Coat

2011-12-28T19:12:00.000-05:00

I rarely post plain old outfit shots, but this coat is too darn cool to leave hanging on the coat rack. I always think it is really cool when high art needles its way into fashion. Unfortunately this coat is actually my mom's, but I can "borrow" it.

When I first saw this coat, it immediately reminded me of the Dutch artist Mondrian's paintings. After I did a bit of internet scrounging, I learned that Yves Saint Laurent actually designed a Mondrian-inspired dress in the 1960s.

The Yves Saint Laurent dress and a Mondrian painting.

The coat's brand is "Herman Kay" and it was made in the Dominican Republic. From what I can find online, I don't think there is anything that special about the designer-- it is just a really cool-looking coat. :)

DIY Tuxedo Blazer with Tails

2011-12-27T00:07:00.000-05:00

Head on over to The Fashion Spot to see my newest post on how to make a tuxedo blazer with tails. It's really not as hard as it looks.

If you're not feeling like covering yourself in glitter and glam for NYE, just do this little tuxedo DIY. I'm still sticking with the glitter. ;)

Polaroid Post: Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T17:57:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone is having a warm and cozy Christmas filled with family! I have been waiting to post this Polaroid for the perfect day, it just might be my favorite that I've ever found. Furry animals and Polaroid... it doesn't get much better than that. :)

I'm still working on my dad so he'll let me have a cat to cuddle under the tree after all the presents have been opened. ;)

♥♥♥ Merry Christmas! ♥♥♥

Photo Tips and Techniques for Beginners

2011-12-24T01:35:00.001-05:00

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I remember the day I got my DSLR camera in the mail-- I had saved up for months to buy my little Nikon D40 and I watched the postal tracking code like my dog waits for her food in the mornings. (So. Excited.) :) When my brown Amazon box finally came, my heart was beating so fast that I could barely cut open the tape. I took out the Nikon and held it in my hands-- that weight and feel is so familiar to me today. I started taking pictures right away, the same photos that everyone takes with a new camera: everything that is in direct sight. My hands, the countertop, the microwave, my feet, the cat, a pile of newspapers.

Back then, I didn't have a clue as to what in the heck I was doing. I had video experience and I've always been that person who carries a camera with them... I just never had a nice, non-point-and-shoot camera. It's been over 2.5 years since I first bought my little Nikon D40 and I still use and adore it today. Even though my Nikon isn't, and was never, a top-of-the-line gadget, I have come leaps and gigantic bounds in my photography knowledge because of that camera and the photo-curiosity it fueled in me. I've written 9 of my favorite photography tips and tricks to help all the other heart-racing-excitable new SLR photographers out there. ;)

1. Composition

This photo: ISO: 400, f/2.8, Shutter: 1/30, taken in Wyoming at the Grand Tetons National Park, summer 2011.

I think that composition is the first, easiest, most fun, and most important lesson to learn in photography. Composing a great photo gets easier with time and repetition, but reading up on how to frame an image is also helpful. The most popular way to compose a rectangular photo is with the "Rule of Thirds". The Digital Photography School has a great article on the "Rule of Thirds" and why it works. Of course, there are always times to break the rules as well, especially when you don't want your image to look cliche. :)

Square Composition:

This photo: ISO: 400, f/5.6, Shutter: 1/125, taken in the middle of the "Snowpocalypse" that happened early Feb. 2011.

I am also a huge fan of the square photograph. After looking at rectangular 4'' by 6'' pictures all the time, there is something so refreshing and powerful about a square. Perhaps that is one reason Instagram pics feel and look so wonderful to us? I love this article on square photo composition by Andrew Gibson.

More square love:

This photo was taken in Victoria, BC in fall 2010.

2. Aperture

One of my favorite things to play around with these days is the aperture. I recently bought a 50mm f/1.4 aperture prime lens and I am in heaven. The control that you have over the foreground and background is so rewarding.

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(The deer in the photo is this little DIY photo holder I made. :))

Aperture is the opening in the camera that adjusts how much light you want to let in for your photo. The lower the aperture number, (ie: 1.8, 2, 3.5) the more blurred your background will be. (Or foreground if you want to focus on the background.) The higher the aperture number, (ie: 16, 22) the more everything will be in focus. It is good to remember that there is not just one way to take a well-lit photograph-- photography has equivalents. This means that you can have a dark room with an aperture of 16 and you can still get a photo to turn out... You'd have to have the shutter open for a few seconds... but it would still work. This chart is good at explaining photography equivalents. PS: I love this blog post on exposure.

3. Shutter Speed

To freeze motion:

This photo: ISO: 200, f/1.8, Shutter: 1/250

To freeze all movement like this confetti image I took of my friend Sarah, you need to have your shutter speed above 1/125.

To illustrate motion:

This photo: ISO: 200, f/32, Shutter: 1/6, taken in Montana in Yellowstone National Park.

To illustrate motion you need to have a tripod (or a rock like I used for this photo ;)) and you need to have your shutter speed slow enough to blur the moving things in the photograph. For sunny days, this can be hard. This is why my aperture was all the way up at 32. (Crazy!)

For fun:

Photo from a ferry ride from mainland Canada to Victoria, BC.

With a higher shutter speed, you can take ninja-jumping shots. ;)

4. ISO

This photo: ISO: 1600, f/1.8, Shutter: 1/60

When it comes to ISO, the higher your ISO, the less light you need to take a well-lit photo, but your photo will be a lot grainier like the bottles above.

This photo: ISO: 200, f/8, Shutter: 1/250. Photo from an enormous magnolia tree that used to be outside my room's window at college.

With a lower ISO, (usually reserved for sunny days) your photo will be noise-free like the magnolia tree above. (Noise-free=less grainy.)

5. Lighting

Clouds=Best Friend

This photo: ISO: 200, f/1.8, Shutter: 1/450

When it comes to lighting, clouds are the best. The photo above is a perfect example. This photo of my friend Sarah was taken on a cloudy day-- the lack of sharp shadows and harsh light flares makes this photo well-lit. I love clouds because they act like a gigantic light diffuser-- like the umbrellas that you see professional photographers use.

Sunny Photography

This photo: ISO: 200, f/5, Shutter: 1/1250 How to make Maggie's printed scarf. :)

This isn't to say that you can't take a great photo with bright sunlight. If the sun is glaring on your subject, you need to keep more things in mind for those photos. Is the subject squinting? are there any weird shadows on their face? Is your subject backlit? When it is cloudy, you can take great photos any time of the day. When it is sunny, you should probably stick to the "golden hours" of sunlight-- after dawn and before dusk. Noon photos are just not as good. :)

Backlight (Usually bad. But not always.)

This photo: ISO: 200, f/2.8, Shutter: 1/2500

Usually backlit photos turn out terribly, but sometimes you can use the light to create a halo around your subjects. This photo is an engagement photo I took. :)

Shadows:

And sometimes a harsh sun can be really fun. :)

6. Tripod

This photo: ISO: 200, f/14, Shutter: 8 seconds

Whether you use a rock, a park bench, a mini travel tripod, a water bottle tripod, or the ground, a tripod can help you get an amazing shot. I took this photo in the High Line Park in New York City. I wanted a long shutter so that I could get a lot of light streaks in the photo. Whenever I took versions of this photo with shorter shutter speeds, there weren't as many headlights in the picture to make it visually appealing. My tripod in this photo? A bench.

Tip: If you want to take photos of people with long exposures, just get them to stand really still. Easier said than done, I know. ;)

7. Colors

This photo: ISO: 400, f/5, Shutter: 1/100. Photo from the 4th of July in the Madison, Wisconsin botanical gardens.

What about them? Just think about them when you shoot. It's a good idea to break out that color wheel and give yourself a little refresher course on complementary colors, tertiary colors, hues, tones, and tints.

Photo from the DePauw University Nature Park in Greencastle, IN. Lots of limestone.

And sometimes avoiding colors all together and taking the monochromatic route is the best way to go.

8. Try a Film Camera

My friend Emily in a photo for my film class in college. I do love confetti photos. ;)

While I use my digital camera all the time, I took a film photography class last year and it probably taught me the most about using my digital camera. Shooting with film teaches you to make a mental checklist of things to do to get a good photo because you don't have the option of guessing and checking like you do with digital photography. If you're interested in photography and you're still in college, TAKE A CLASS. (Not to be bossy or anything. ;)) But seriously, film photography classes are SUPER expensive outside of school. Take it while you can.

Long exposures with film. And a tripod!

(All of my film photos were actually taken with the Pentax K1000 pictured in the first image of this post. If you are looking for a great film camera, that camera's your guy. It is an incredible student camera.)

9. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

Some of my Polaroid photography collection.

I know this is one of those annoying pieces of advice like "practice makes perfect", but unfortunately it is true. The only way to get better at any art form is to do it. (So annoying, I know!) ;) Shoot photos with vintage cameras. Shoot photos with your cell phone. Play around. Have fun.

Also, read books on photography. (This is one of my favorite photography books by far.
) Look at photos, too. Go to museums. Throw yourself into it. Then you can start breaking the rules and getting some rewarding shots. :)

Photo from downtown Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. I went there for my spring break in 2011.

(One of my favorite photos I've taken. I stalked birds on a wire for a year to get a shot like this.)

In short?

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!

With a bunch of practice and a love for cameras, you can evolve from opening your new camera box and taking photos of the microwave to this:

;)

Extra resources:

My Photography Pinboard
My Vintage Photography

Great Photography Books:

♥The Photographer's Mind
♥The Photographer's Eye
♥The Photographer's Eye Field Guide
♥The Photographer's Vision
♥Perfect Exposure

(Can you tell I love Michael Freeman? :))

Polaroid Pogo and Zink Paper Manipulation

2011-12-21T00:14:00.000-05:00

I've had this little gadget called the Polaroid Pogo for over two years now and it is one of the cutest little camera toys I own. It is fun because while everyone else has these nice little smart phones with Instagram, I still have the dumbest phone known to Verizon. (Seriously. It butt dials people when I am singing in the car (#OMGsoEmbarrassing!) and it also calls my mom at 2am because I accidentally rolled over on top of the phone.) But even my phone can print little sticker pics from the Pogo printer.

The PoGo is really interesting because of the Zink paper-- it has no ink! (Zink= zero ink.) It behaves just like a receipt printer, except that it has cyan, magenta, and yellow ink that respond to heat instead of just black. The PoGo printer heats up the paper at different temperatures and different colors appear. So, so, so cool. And you can do really neat stuff with the paper. I've experimented with some household chemicals on the paper as well as heating it up in spots. I'll post those later. ;)

I actually followed this tutorial to get the image of the Flatiron building in Manhattan. I've probably watched this video 20 times and shown it to just as many people. :) (Warning: Super hipsters below.)

Here are some more of my Zink pics-- it really makes me miss NYC. Especially the memories from my bike ride from the George Washington Bridge down to the Staten Island Ferry.

(George Washington Bridge, way, way, way, way uptown Manhattan.)

(Along the Hudson, near midtown Manhattan.)

And some tapes from CBS when I worked there.

And GUESS WHAT! I don't know how I didn't see this, but my friend showed me that Polaroid has come out with a new digital Polaroid camera using Zink paper! Alas, it is $299. I will stick to my PoGo for now. ;) But I do love the Zink paper. People complain that the quality isn't perfect, but that is what was and is so endearing about the actual Polaroid photography. There is magic in the flaws.

DIY Heart Cutout Dress

2011-12-18T23:21:00.000-05:00

I posted about how to do this heart cutout dress a while back, but I never got around to properly photographing any of the dresses that I've created heart-shaped chunks in. :) (Three so far.) I need to graduate to other shapes.

One reason I love the dress cutouts is because you can put different patterned shirts underneath the dress and it creates an entirely new look. This dress can be a Christmas dress with a sequin shirt or a Valentine's Day dress with a red shirt.

I am also wearing my DIY Jeffrey Campbell wedges here. (Eep! I'm also missing a thumb tack!) ;)

You can create these cutouts in any shape and put it anywhere on your clothes. Heck, you can even cut some hearts out on the wrists of a shirt and tell people you wear your heart on your sleeve. ;) Too much? (These cutouts also work well with the backs of dresses.)

For this project you need:
♥Dress (preferably not jersey knit, stiffer fabrics work best)
♥Some sort of ribbon, lace, something to pin around the edges of the cutout heart.
♥Sewing machine & Iron
♥Pins
♥Tape
♥Marker

I would say the skill level needed for a heart cutout is basic, but you have to have pins. You also need to pay close attention to the details.

Step 1: Lay out some tape over the area where you want to cut a heart. Draw the heart (or whatever shape) on top of the tape and then cut on your line.

(Sorry that the demonstration photo doesn't match the actual dress. Sometimes I get so excited with a project that I forget to photograph it through the process. :))

Step 2: With the tape still on, (It keeps the fabric from moving.) pin the lace around the edges of the fabric. The lace will prevent fraying and makes the heart cutout a bit sturdier. After you pin the lace around the heart, then you can sew it on.

Step 3: You can pick off the tape after you've sewn on the lace. This is a little tricky, but I found the tape really, really helps keep everything in place. :)

And Voila! You've got your heart dress!

Next time you see a dress in a thrift store with a high neckline, add a heart! Or two. Or three. ;)

Polaroid Post: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-17T14:42:00.003-05:00

Another one of my found Polaroids-- I love this one. It looks like Christmas in Florida judging from his shirt and the sign. :)

See more of my Polaroid photography!

DIY Glitter Purse + A New Gig

2011-12-15T20:09:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to share that I am a new DIY fashion columnist over at The Fashion Spot! My first post is on how to make a DIY glitter clutch. And I think I might be almost done glitterizing everything I can think of. (I think.)

(Head over to The Fashion Spot to see how to make it!)

You know what the best part is about getting to write for blogs at work and The Fashion Spot? I almost live up to the career of the Sim version of me. ;)

(Sim Stacie: Professional Blogger)

Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf

2011-12-13T17:33:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, I loved the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books. I mean loved. My friends and I read the books together in middle school and I don't know about them, but I always longed to have a pair of pants to share. Instead we settled for sharing the book. Close enough, right?

Well it has been ten years since I first read those books and fell in love with Tibby, Bridget, Lena, and Carmen, but I finally have the chance to have a traveling... something. A scarf! I work for the website Scarves.net with some scarf-tastic ladies who just happen to (also) have a tingly nostalgia for those books from our teenage years. (They say we are the nostalgic generation right?) So we decided to start the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf"... with a bit of 21st-century Internet flair.

Here are the rules for our scarf:

1. You can keep the scarf for eight days. The scarf must then be passed on to a fellow blogger you deem crafty, fashionable, and all-around fabulous.

2. During your eight days, add a small and crafty decoration to the scarf. Be tasteful. Be clever. Make sure it represents you. ♥ ♥ ♥

I added two things to the scarf-- first these little flowers. I burned the edges of the fabric like I did in this tutorial and then I stitched the little guys to the scarf with a turquoise bead. I've always loved the look of grey and yellow together. :)

I also added these little embroideries to the scarf. On one side of the scarf I stitched Scarves.net and on the other I stitched "Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf." My fancy-dancy little sewing machine is always coming in super handy. (Thanks Mom!) :D

3. During your eight days, you must wear the scarf whenever possible. Take photos with it! Show how the traveling scarf spent time with you. (The scarf is a total photo-hog.) ;)

4. You must share your adventures with the scarf on your blog. Show your best photos, talk about what you added to the scarf and why.

5. The 15th blogger to receive the scarf must send the scarf back to Scarves.net to go into scarf hibernation. (Scarfbernation. The scarf totally hates summer. Blech!)

6. Any and all contents you recieve in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf package should be passed on to the next member of the sisterhood. Feel free to add trinkets, notes, and surprises, but don't take any away. (Gotta let the next gal feel the love!) :)

7. You must track the scarf's journey on the enclosed map. Put a dot on your hometown with your initials. Add a trail from where it came from to where you are located.

(The bag and the map. With my dot in ze middle of Indiana. :))

8. You must write on the Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf's bag detailing the most exciting thing that happened to you while wearing the scarf.

Want to know what happened to me? I was taking that photo above, and a TRAIN started coming. A TRAIN! Trains never come! What the heck? I was just fiddling with my tripod and then I looked up to see lights about a half-mile away. I scurried off those tracks super fast.

9. You can let your cat lay on the scarf, but dog drool is just gross. (Totally still love my dog. Her breath is horrendous though.)

10. No showering in the scarf. (No microwaving of le scarf either.) Hehe.

11. Don't let anyone outside of the sisterhood wear the scarf. (Especially if you have a pet goat.) Now we're just getting ridiculous, right? :)

12. You MUST look chic and sassy while wearing the scarf. But of course, you always look that way. ;)

(Failure to comply with these governing rules will result in bad scarf karma and bad hair days for a year. (OMG no! The horror!)

♥ The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf XOXO :)

So what's next for the scarf? Well, it is going to go around to the next scarf lady, Sarah! Then to Maggie, and then to (another) Sarah. After it passes through these scarf ladies in the office, we feel that the scarf is ready to branch out in the blogosphere. To be released into the web wild. To spread its scarfy wings and fly! (I'm done, I'm done.)

Remember: Scarf=Love. Love your pals. Love yourself.

:)

PS: The scarf we used is currently sold out, but this grey scarf is very similar. :)

How to Make a Glitter Shirt

2011-12-12T00:11:00.001-05:00

Ok. You can say it. Enough with the glitter already, Stacie! But I can't stop. Maybe it's all the holiday festivities that have got me all glitter-crazy and sparkly-eyed-- there's just no denying how fun it is to glitter everything. Glitter lamp shade. Glitter purse. Glittery pom pom... (And I've still got a few glitter projects in the queue!) I'll draw the line at my dog. (Although now that I think about it, her collar is looking a little drab.) ;)

I originally saw this idea on The Frugalista Diaries. This blog is super cool.

To make a glitter accent shirt you need:

♥Shirt. (I like the look of chambray with gold. :))
♥Mod Podge
♥Glitter

Step 1: Lay out your shirt and make sure the collar is flat. If your shirt needs ironing, do it. Otherwise your glittered collar could have a fold.

Step 2: Mix your glitter in a little dish. I would say a good ration of glitter to Mod Podge is 1:1. This seems like a lot, but it works a lot better I've found.

Step 3: Paint that stuff on! It might take a few coats if you don't pile it on. Then let it all dry. (Duh.) You don't want a Mod Podged neck. :)

And you got it!

Go glitter something! You know what I'll be doing. :)

Five Things: Grey, Furry, and Clear

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ever since I started working at the scarf store, the scarf chickadees have introduced me to some jaw-dropping blogs. One of them is Cupcakes and Cashmere. She does these amazing little posts centered around "Five Things" ...and... well... I kind of wanted to do some too. ;)

My glass head. Dressed for the weather.

My little glass head. Originally a Crystal Skull Vodka mini bottle, a friend gave it to me when I was in New York. I've actually been looking on Ebay for a large skull bottle for about a year because I wanted to put flowers in it and revel in the irony.

One of my favorite Christmas decorations. He cackles and sings.

Pair of owl salt and pepper shakers. Got these little birds at the Greencastle Goodwill.

My furry Alaskan Eskimo doll. My grandma bought it for me when she was in Alaska and it was one of the last things she ever gave me before she died in 2000.

It's even got little booties. :)

Polaroid Post: My Childhood

2011-12-07T21:24:00.001-05:00

Yep. That's me. Age 12. And my little brother and sister. Rockin' the high-waisted pants before they were cool and wearing a Boyds Bears broach. I won't even mention my shoes. ;)

How to Make a Simple Bow

2011-12-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

These little bows are so simple and fun-- I make them all the time. They are so versatile-- you can wear them as shoe clips, hair clips, broaches, whatever you want! I've also attached them to headbands.

(Photo from last year when I was obsessively watching Mad Men and attempting the bee hive hairdo. Looks a bit like Marge Simpson if you ask me. ;) )

How to Make Simple Bows:

Step 1: First you need to cut a rectangle of fabric with a little sliver of fabric to set off to the side. The little piece will be the middle of the bow.

Step 2: Next you need to fold the fabric onto itself, lengthwise.

Step 3: Now fold the fabric in the other way to to middle. (Hamburger style? ;))

Step 4: Stitch those bad boys together. Do a running stitch so that you can gather the bow at the center. Make sure you get all of the layers!

Step 5: With a curling iron, straightener, or iron, press the sides of the little sliver of fabric together. This makes the bow a LOT easier to assemble. Stitch the little pressed slice of fabric around the center of the bow.

Step 6: All done!

DIY Christmas Pom Pom

2011-12-04T20:58:00.001-05:00

I love parties, but I REALLY love Christmas parties. The food. The outfits. The coziness. #omggggggg. Yesterday I went back to my alma mater to go to the (legendary) SAE office Christmas party and I made this little hair pom pom with a strand of garland I had from a thrift store.

To make a Christmas pom pom you need:
♥Garland
♥Scissors
♥Needle and thread

It's super easy. All you have to do is cut little sections of garland into 4'' strips. (Or smaller if you want a baby pom pom.) Then you just stitch the centers together and trim the little poof! I used bobby pins to attach the pom pom to my hair, you can safety pin it to a blouse, too.

(Sorry for the graniness. I took this pic from Facebook.)

(Miss Kelsey Rose on the right. ;)) I wore the pom pom with a black velvet dress that I bought at a Goodwill and a fake poinsettia that I made into a broach. My friend Clara is brilliant with her ugly Christmas sweater-- if you are having a hard time finding one, just take a sweater that has animals or people on it and make santa hats from felt! Ingenious.

Also, this is what happens when you put two hot pink deer in the front yard at a college.

I call it "Maturity." ;)

DIY Feather Hair Extensions

2011-12-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

I've had feathers in my hair since April and I absolutely love them. They behave just like my actual hair-- they can be curled with the curling iron and dried with the hair dryer. Even though over the summer I watched every 8-year-old girl I know become my pink, orange, and blue fine-feathered friends,

(I just like all feathers, actually.) :)

So before these hackle feathers became a hair trend, they were used by fly fishermen for bait. Ever heard of "tying flies?" Yeah, they use these feathers to do that. My fly-fisherman friend (who lived and worked in Montana all summer) told me a funny story about a man in Montana who owns a fishing store. He refuses to sell anyone feathers if they are going to use them for their hair-- or if they plan on selling the feathers to people who will use them in their hair. So this fishing shop owner quizzes and grills his feather-buying customers until he is sure they will be using the hackle only for fishing. Hahaha... :)

To add the feather hair extensions yourelf, you need:

♥Feathers. I got mine on Ebay and I also bought the little beads there as well. (Just search for hair extension beads.
♥Pliers.
♥Little piece of wire.

Step 1: First you need to divide a tiny section of hair where you want to put your feather extension. It does not have to be large, just make sure that you are pulling hairs from the same spot. You don't want your hair to get tangled later because you pulled sections of hair that are a bit far from where your extension is. Take your wire and wrap it around your section of hair.

Step 2: Now you need to slide the bead down on the two sides of wire and pull your hair through the bead.

Step 3: Next you slide the feathers into the bead. I usually put 3 or 4 feathers in one bead. You might want someone to help here, it can get a little tricky with just you. After you slide your feathers in, you want to get the bead as close to your scalp as possible with a little bit of the feathers sticking out the other end so that they don't slip out.

That's it! It's actually really easy to put the feathers in and take them out. Then you don't have to spend a fortune at the salon! Search around for the feathers you want on Ebay-- you can usually find a really good deal!

PS-- This yellow scarf is the softest scarf, ever. :)

DIY Scarf with Flower Embellishments

2011-11-29T23:39:00.001-05:00

Dress: Forever 21 (Yeah!), Lace tights: Vera Wang for Kohls, Scarf: Street vendor in NYC and decorated by me, Boots: Etienne Aigner (Ebay)

This black scarf is actually a remake of a scarf that I made a few years ago. Unfortunately when I was visiting my friend in Canada, I was trying on these unicorn costumes in a Value Village dressing room. I left my scarf there and when I came back the next morning, someone had purchased my scarf! What the heck, right? :)

So, I made another. (I really liked that scarf.)

This was the original. Slightly different, but pretty much the same.

To make this scarf, you need:
♥ Scarf
♥ Plasticky fabric (I used laundry bags that I bought at the 99 cent store in Harlem.) Any synthetic fabric should work.
♥ Beads
♥ Needle and thread
♥ Fabric glue

Step 1: First, you need to cut out the flower shapes. You can make any shape you want. The edges will burn up and make new shapes anyway.

Step 2: Burn the edges of your flowers with a candle. I just run the fabric near the fire and it crinkles up a bit. This makes sure that the fabric won't fray.

Step 3: After you have the amount of petals that you want to create the texture of flowers for your scarf, you need to sew the beads in the center of the flower and sew the flower to the scarf. After you have sewn the centers, you need to take fabric glue and glue down the edges of the petals so they don't flop everywhere. Do NOT make the mistake I made by glueing on top of paper. It will attach itself to the little glue spots on your scarf. Also, do not let your drying scarf rest on the carpet. Put it on top of an old sheet or something. :)

And that's it! :)

One note about my boots. I got these little guys on Ebay (a great place for boots, I must say) because I think that the vintage boots are MUCH better quality than the boots of the same price in stores today. I do not like the faux leather when it comes to boots-- they don't last a tenth of the time that the leather boots last. But because I buy vintage/secondhand boots, sometimes their soles are a bit messed up. The soles of these boots were perfect when I first got them, but they started cracking after a few wears. So I decided to fix them with a bit of Shoe Goo.

It works really well and sealed those cracks right up.

I really like some of the older Etienne Aigner products. :)

*le sigh. I love boot weather! :)

How to Make a Camera Strap from a Scarf

2011-11-29T16:08:00.001-05:00

Ahh! Guess what. I'm blogging. And working. At the same time! Head on over to Scarves.net to see how to make a camera strap from a silk scarf. We've got some pretty awesome scarf-tying tips there as well. ;)

For example, I made this little graphic last week:

So go! ;D

Fabric Flower Headband DIY

2011-11-27T19:35:00.001-05:00

If I had to choose one thing to make over and over and over again, it would have to be fabric flowers. Of course it would be a tough choice between glitterizing every purse I have... I still think I would always choose fabric flowers. (And I have no idea why there would be some evil crafter out there that would give me such an ultimatum, but just go with me.) :)

From flowers made of zippers, fabric flowers on skirts, fabric flowers on shirts, it's safe to say I like flowers. A little.

For this project you need:
♥ Fabric strips
♥ Hot Glue Gun
♥ Headband
♥ Some sort of fabric that won't fray. (Felt, wool, jersey.)

This tutorial is a bit easier to understand through video.

PS- I need some better muzak forealz.

And then you get this!

You can also make these flowers into belt embellishments, corsages, hair clips, anything really. I might add some of these little guys to a shirt soon. :)

To all of my flower-loving kindred spirits out there, I've pinned about a bazillion flowers in my DIY Fashion board on Pinterest. Also, I posted about the yellow flower headband in the tutorial video here. (I made the yellow flower with the same technique as this pink flower. :))

Polaroid Post: Two Birds on a Wire

2011-11-23T07:55:00.000-05:00

You have no idea how long it took me to chase down two birds on a wire and snap a Polaroid of them. I took this photo two summers ago... (Gosh I can't believe it was two summers ago!) when Regina Spektor's Far album came out. I finally captured those little dudes on a wire after I saw birds mingling about in the area. Taken on my Polaroid SX-70 with Impossible Project first flush film.

I haven't been as obsessed with photographing birds on a wire ever since I got this shot of fat little pigeons in Puerto Rico:

I just looked up and they were there! I was really excited at the time to get my definitive birds on a wire shot... but I think I need to rekindle my love for bird Polaroids. Pigeons don't count. It was too easy. :)

How to Make a Fork Bracelet

2011-11-19T18:29:00.001-05:00

I've always loved taking everyday items and making them into something interesting. Ever since I was a little crafty kid I loved devouring books that taught me how to make little dolls from clothespins, beads from rolled up magazines, and little fairy ornaments from wire and fake flower petals. The first time I saw my friend wearing a bracelet made from a fork a few years ago, I knew I had to try it (*ahem Carly ;)). I wrote up a tutorial a while back, but I've had some questions about the directions I gave so I decided to make a proper tutorial with a video! :)

(Please excuse my intro, if you can't hustle your website on your Youtube channel, where else are you supposed to do it? ;))

What you need:
♥ A fork. You can find the fork I used here.I think these forks are the easiest to use, and I've used a lot of different forks. :)
♥  Pliers, 3 pairs. 1 jewelry pair, 1 regular pair or needle nose, and an adjustable wrench.
♥  Piece of thick fabric like denim or corduroy.
♥ Strong hands. If you don't have these you might need to buy a hand exerciser. Just kidding. Ask for help! ;)
♥  If you still can't figure out how to make the bracelet, I sell fork bracelets in my Etsy store for a good price. If you want a bulk order, I can totally do that!

I've always really liked layering bracelets. And my watch is hands down (or should I say wrists down?) the greatest watch ever invented. Digital, with a chronograph, a light, silver and gold? *Le sigh. ;)

The other wrist.

Forks and wolves go together, right?

They definitely go with feathers.

If anyone needs help, just leave a comment. :)

Happy Birthday Louis Daguerre!

2011-11-18T21:31:00.001-05:00

(These are my tintypes that I hang on my bulletin board all the time. I wish they were Daguerrotypes. ;) )

I was so tickled this morning when I opened up Google and the doodle was a Daguerrotype! Thank you, thank you, thank you to the man who invented the first successful commercial photo process.

Without him who knows what my Nikon child-of-a-camera or my beloved Polaroids would look like today. Would they even exist? I don't like to even think of it!

I've always been looking for Daguerrotypes in antique stores, but there has never been one for a good price. I did get these tintypes above for a couple dollars, (most likely because they are in such terrible shape) but I've never seen a well-priced Daguerrotype. I won't get into the photo nerd details about why Daguerrotypes make me so swoony, I just want to say:

♥HAPPY 224th BIRTHDAY MONSIEURE DAGUERRE!♥

(Daguerre's famous photo-- argued to be the first photo of a person... ever.)

DIY Deer Photo Holder

2011-11-16T23:26:00.001-05:00

I made this little guy last January but never got around to photographing him properly. (I just didn't do him justice before.)

I bought the little deer for .50 at a flea market in town. The DIY is pretty easy, but might be a little tricky the first time you make one.

You need:
♥Plastic animal
♥Saw
♥Magnets (the stronger the better)
♥Hot glue gun
♥Cotton balls if animal is hollow, or stuffing of choice

Step 1: First you need to cut the animal in half. Keep in mind the angle at which the photo will be displayed. You don't want your photo to face forward!

Step 2: If your animal is hollow, you can fill it in with hot glue and cotton balls just so that the magnet will have a wider spot to be glued to in the end. Alternate hot glue and stuffing, (you can use newspaper too).

Step 3: After your animal is stuffed, just glue the magnet to both sides of the cut open body. I used a strip of magnets and cut them to size. I am no science person, but my magnets were polarized differently so I had to rotate them around to see where they stuck together the best.

And voila! You can turn your animal around for a cheekier photo holder.

Deer bum. ;)

I took the Polaroid of Times Square with this little pup of a camera. I wrote about Tommy the Polaroid SX-70 a while back as well.

Happy crafting my fellow crafty crafters. ;)

DIY Glitter Accent Purse

2011-11-14T22:51:00.001-05:00

I am on such a glitter kick-- it is so fun and I can't stop! I got this purse from my work on "Giveaway Day" where we get to take home one of the damaged or returned products. The awesome thing is that there isn't much wrong with this purse, the zipper is a little finicky but that's it.

It's great for a work bag because I am one of those people who brings a TON of stuff wherever I go. My packmule tendencies have been worse lately because I've taken to running during my lunch hour since it is almost stinking midnight-light by the time I get home from work. (Darn you, daylight savings!) I HATE running inside without fresh air, birds, and passing scenery and this bag is great because I can pack my lunch AND my running clothes.

Unfortunately this purse is out of stock on HandbagHeaven.com, but there is another doctor satchel that I think would look really good with a glitter embellishment at the top. You can always prowl your local Goodwill and find a cool bag to decorate-- although if anyone glitterfies a vintage Coach purse or something, I am internet disowning them.

What you need: (Not much.)

This purse is really not hard to make. First you need to tape off the area around the soon-to-be glitterfied section. Everyone loves a glitterization, but the glitter's gotta stay where the glitter's supposed to stay. ;)

Next you mix the glitter and the Mod Podge (I say half and half ratio?) and cake the glitter glue on. I mean CAKE it on. You don't want the purse to show through, and you can rarely have too much glitter, right? (But seriously, it will take a lot less time if you cake it on.) You can do multiple layers if needed.

Voila! And that glitter's not going anywhere.

Pair it with some sequins and you are ready to go. (And this is probably as close to neutrals as I get in terms of dressing.)

T-Shirt Scarf #2

2011-11-10T23:13:00.001-05:00

My mom has been crafting again. (She has also been Pinning like a maniac and my sister texted me a photo of her asleep at the computer with her finger on a pin, but that's another story. :))

Both her first t-shirt scarf and this t-shirt scarf necklace are on sale in my Etsy store. :)

Polaroid Post: Princeton and New York

2011-11-08T22:09:00.000-05:00

This weekend I went to visit my boyfriend who is a senior at Princeton in New Jersey. Princeton has the most beautiful campus I've ever seen. Hands down. Even though I am sure there are many more deserving causes for all the money that is poured into building and maintaining the facilities at a school like this, sometimes it is nice to be surrounded by a collegiate wonderland.

The two Polaroids above were taken behind Nassau Hall with Impossible Project film. I really, really like the batch that they came out with this time-- it is a lot more like the good Polaroid film and less finicky than previous film attempts by the company. I think the peachy edges of the film are from when I snatched the film from the camera right as it was coming out. The warmth of my hand must've made it a bit wonky-- but I kind of like it.

And my boyfriend is much better at taking Polaroids, apparently. ;)

Alexander Hall

This Polaroid was supposed to be really special, but I totally messed it up. Plus it was a little dark. On the bottom right hand corner of the photo, my boyfriend is standing on the inside of the gate. When you are a freshman at Princeton, you walk in the gate towards campus and you don't walk through the gate until graduation. (So it was supposed to be this symbolic Polaroid... Sean, standing on the inside of the gate facing out...) But I messed it up. I do like how the seal looks on top of the gate, though.

Princeton at night.

We also got the chance to go up to NYC, my favorite place in the world. I've never taken better Polaroids than the Polaroids I took in NYC. *le sigh.

It doesn't get any better than night photos in a favorite place. :)

Polaroid Post: The Beach

2011-11-04T11:09:00.003-04:00

Last spring I found this huge bag of vintage photos in an antique store for $10 and it was chock-full of Polaroids. This is one of them.

I just love how the photo looks more like a painting and the people look like little bugs.

DIY Kate Spade Owl Purse

2011-11-01T07:20:00.000-04:00

(Ridiculous pose explained later.)

I've always had a thing for animal accessories-- from rings, to lamps, photo holders... the list goes on. But I really love owls. :) This Kate Spade owl purse has inspired me for a few years-- I even made a tutorial of it a couple years ago. (But now I am a bit embarrassed by the original attempt... Sometimes I get so excited about a project I am not patient enough to do it well.) :)
Kate Spade on the left, mine on the right.

For the base of the purse, instead of using a tattered old purse I had from middle school, I bought a brown purse from Handbag Heaven, one of the sister stores owned by the company where I work. :)

Comparison: And yes, I do have a construction paper fish taped to my empty bag of water. When I was making this purse, I looked at this Kate Spade ad for so long that I realized I had a brown furry capelet, a bunch of bangles, and an owl purse... why not try to take a photo like the ad? I mean, usually I get my girl Myrtle to model my stuff, but this was a special project. :)

*And I did not have a yellow dress to wear under the cape so I am totally wearing a yellow t-shirt around my waist. #Resourceful?

Also, I am pretty sure that the Kate Spade girl did not have a real fish so my construction paper one is totally legit. :)

Click here to see the rest of the post and how I made the owl! How to make the Kate Spade owl purse:

You need:
-Purse
-Superglue
-Leather
-Grommets
-Grommet puncher
-Beads or buttons for eyes
-Paper towels to make templates of wings
-Patience :)
-Spray Paint

Step 1:Cut out all the patches of leather that you need for the wings. I layered paper towels on top of the purse and cut templates to put on the leather. If you don't want to use lots of leather, you can just cut one piece for the wing, but I like the layered effect that the real purse has.

Step 2:Glue the wings on. I used the best superglue ever-- the E-6000. Seriously. This stuff is not expensive and it is flexible. Perfect for the crafter. For the middle section, leave a bit of the wing unglued so that you can glue the little feathers underneath. To clamp down the superglue on the purse, I used an assortment of claw clips and bobby pins. They work really well even though it doesn't really look too pretty. Let this dry, preferably overnight.

Step 3:Cut the feathers out.I cut little sections like that because I had these little leather remnants to use up, but I recommend cutting them in one strip. It makes it easier. After you have them cut out, punch the grommets into the feathers.

Step 4:After you have the grommets in the feathers, glue the feathers together so that they are one section.Don't glue the bottoms of the feathers down to the purse. You want them to flap a bit. Don't get your superglue on the suede, either.

Step 5: Cut out the eyes.I just notched little pieces out of the circles I cut for the eyes. Then I stitched the little yellow heart beads to one layer of the leather. Then I glued them all together.

Step 6:Cut out the triangular piece of leather that goes above the eyes. Glue this into place, leaving a little open on the bottom so you can slip the eyes in. Put a bit of glue on the back of the eyes and then slip them under to make the cute angry owl face. Make sure everything is in its place. You can let these stages dry and then go back and touch parts up with a dab of glue. This is where patience comes in. Don't hurry!

Step 7:The beak.I didn't have gold leather so I just took some gold spray paint and painted the suede side of a little snippet of leather. Worked perfectly. Then you just need to cut out the diamond shape and glue it in place between the eyes.

Step 8:Glue everything down and make sure everything is going to stay. The thing about the E-6000 glue is that if there is enough glue there, it is not going anywhere. You just have to make sure it does not show.

Make sure the edges are down. This is where the claw clips come in handy. Thank you 1999. :)

And there you go! You've got a designer bag for a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the original $400 cost. :)

Now I just need to figure out how to make the little feet! :)

The Evolution of My Halloween Costume

2011-10-30T22:23:00.000-04:00

My Halloween costume for this year: Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Mrs. Fox: You know, you really are... fantastic.
Mr. Fox: I try.

*Whistle, *clickclick.

Happy (almost) Halloween! In celebration of (in my opinion) the most fun holiday of the year, I've rounded up all the photos of Halloween costumes I could find from recent years. #EmbarrassingPicturesAhead

2010 Costume #1: Bob Dylan from Subterranean Homesick Blues.
2010 Costume #2: Unicorn. (When Halloween falls on a weekend in college, you dress up twice.)

Surprisingly, dancing unicorns in furry onesies don't get the kindest attention at frat parties. Who could've guessed?

2009 Costume #1: Fidel and Raul Castro.

(This was for a Spanish class presentation on Cuba that happened to fall on Halloween.)

2009 Costume #2: Owls.

Perhaps my favorite costume of all time. We found these little guys in a Value Village in Canada. Because owls are a symbol of our sorority, the owls were quite a hit. **And owl costumes always are great for things like Greek Week festivities... and Harry Potter premieres.

Also one of my best face paint jobs. Give this type of face paint job a few hours in a sweaty fraternity basement dance party and you graduate from weird-looking owl to serious frat boy repellant.

2008 Costume: Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI.Note the bleeding red marker-drawn lines around our necks.

2007 Costume: Bug

Definitely my lamest costume in recent years, but I did wear this costume to class all day. (I was a freshman, obviously.) This was a day when I realized that college is very different from high school and people don't wear their Halloween costumes to class. Lesson learned.

Circa 2005: Clown.Yes I did spend 100% more time on my costume than my friends. And yes I have seen the movie "It." The resemblance is only now striking me.

Early Years: Minnie Mouse.
I've always taken Halloween seriously. :)

DIY Anthropologie Scarf Flats

2011-10-26T22:53:00.000-04:00

Life lesson: whenever you get to make a craft for work, it's a good day. When you are me and you make any excuse to break out the superglue, thread, needle, and grommet puncher-- it's like the greatest day ever. I saw these flats on Anthropologie's site about a month ago and since I work for a scarves store, I knew I had to make some sort of DIY project out of the idea. ;)

The inspiration:

Anthropologie, I love you. I mean I really, really love you. But there's no way I am paying $148 for a pair of flats. (Oh, they're on sale for $78 now?) Still, *splutter, cough, choke* no.

Step 1: For these shoes, you need a pair of flats. My glitter flats are from Payless and I highly, highly recommend them. I think I might go back and get a scarf-less pair for backup. Hehe. (You never know when life is going to call for a good pair of glitter flats!) Whip out some thread, a needle, scissors, and a scarf of course. I used a vintage scarf that my mom had used in a previous DIY project. I just thought it was too pretty to be stuck lying around.

Step 2: Next you need to cut up your scarf into four strips. You need to cut the strips wide enough so that you can fold them in half, stitch them up, and then flip them inside out. (In the end you will have a little scarf tube to sew to your flats.)

Step 3: Now you need to sew the little strips into tubes. I stitched the tubes by hand, (because I crafted at work) but I recommend stitching the tubes up with a machine.

Step 4: After you’ve stitched the little scarf tubes, you just start stitching the fabric to your flats. This is where a thimble comes in handy because as I am typing this, my fingers are in a little bit more pain than usual because I stabbed myself with the needle a few times. Don’t be stupid like me. Use a thimble.

Step 5: After you have both of the sides of your bow stitched to your shoe, all you have to do is tie it up. If your scarf tube is too long, just cut it to size and stitch the edges under so they do not fray.

And voila! After I got home, I fixed the bows up a little bit and stitched them down so that they do not flop around. :)

Oh, and you want to see how Maggie made her awesome flats with one of the Affordable Scarves scarves? Pop on over to the blog and check it out. :)

DIY Glitter Lamp Shade

2011-10-24T23:24:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite DIY's yet-- it was about time little Pidwidgeon got a lampshade. I've had him since last October and he's been beloved but naked all this time. I know I have a lot of prized possessions, but I truly love this lamp. This rabbit might compete-- but the rabbit does not have a twin (Errol) that belongs to my dear friend Kelsey. (Also, the fact that the pair of owls cost $2.50 each at the Berry Street Flea Market in Greencastle, IN definitely adds to their charm.)

I feel I have to note that those are not my hands, they are my little brother's. Although I did grow up raising sheep... and my nickname in basketball used to be "Bulldozer"... and I can bend a fork with my bare hands... the manly hands in that GIF are not mine. :)

What you need: (Not much.) Glitter, Mod Podge, a brush of sorts, little dish for Mod Podge, newspaper, and a lampshade. I got mine at Goodwill for $4.

Directions: All you have to do is pour about 1/4 cup of Mod Podge into a little dish. I used a butter dish. Then pour a LOT of glitter into the Mod Podge. I mean like an ounce. The Mod Podge should still stir like glue. Then take your brush and paint on the lamp shade. I had to do about 3 coats, you don't want to put too much on to block all the light, but you do want to cover all the huge holes. Then let it dry, and you're done!

See what I mean by the prized possessions? I'm like a regular old Indiana crow over here. Shiny stuff. Yeah. Go make your own. :)

T-Shirt Necklace DIY

2011-10-20T23:21:00.000-04:00

Check out what my mom made! My mom has been pinning on Pinterest like crazy and she has come up with some pretty cool projects and recipes lately. She made a necklace for herself like this and decided to make another to try her luck with Etsy. Perhaps she's seen me plugging away at my little store for the entirety of 2011 and thought that she could do better because:

a) She taught me everything I know. (Except for computers. I would have to say I taught her 70% of what she knows.) It's an equal trade-off, right?

Mom: "Here Stacie, I'll give you life and all the survival and crafty skills you need."
Me: "Thanks Mom. Now here's how you use Pinterest."
Mom: "Ooh, I like this Pin-Interest thing."
Me: "No mom, PINterest. Not pin-in. No, Mom, no, scroll with two fingers, not your palm. No! Mom, you sign into Facebook in the corner. NO! That's the delete button!"

and b) My mom is much better at project execution. Again. Except for computers. And electronics. Like remotes and Xbox controllers. Which surprisingly have to be turned on in order for them to work? Who knew.

To make this necklace:

1. You need to cut thin strips of jersey knit and tug on them so they curl up. You can cut as many strips as you want, this will just determine the thickness of your necklace. You can either cut circles of jersey knit or you can stitch the ends of the strips together to make the necklace loop.

2. Take your necklace chains and put them in the mix with the t-shirt loops.

3.. Take two or three strips and wrap them around specific spots on the necklace where you think they look good. Then stitch the ends of the strips into place. Voila! That's it. :)

You can buy the necklace in my Etsy store here.

Polaroid Post: The Covered Bridge Festival

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went to one of my favorite places in the world (Rockville, IN) to the greatest of Indiana celebrations: the Covered Bridge Festival. The festival that celebrates covered bridges. Seriously. Why are covered bridges worth celebrating you ask? Because the uncovered bridges would rot and collapse, throwing people and animals into the creek below. If I ever fell in Big Walnut creek I'd celebrate covered bridges too.

The festival has grown into a hybrid of a fall festival mixed with a county fair sprinkled with a bunch of random yard sales with crap. And when I say crap, I actually mean a much harsher expletive. (ie: As Seen on TV knockoffs, Justin Bieber snuggies, an occasional crossbow, and the ever-present wolves howling at the moon t-shirts.. although those are kind of cool.) Each year over 2 million people come to the festival. Don't believe me? Google it. Or better yet, check out one blurb here. Keep in mind that 3 million people visit Yellowstone each year.

I took this Polaroid outside one of the coolest bars I've been to in my short 2 years since being 21. It has the largest collection of taxidermied animals that I've ever seen including a bear, a cougar, a wolverine, all of the regular taxidermied animals, and even some made up animals like a "Jackalope." (Where they put antlers on a rabbit.)

I took this photo with my trusty brown SX-70 and I used the Impossible Project's first flush of the color film-- which isn't available anymore. I've had a lot of hits and misses with their film, but I really like this photo. The uncontrollable nature of this film, and Polaroid in general is what makes it so fascinating to me.

Rockville.

Paul, my fellow adventurer. He said, "The covered bridge festival is 99% full of stuff that never should have been made or stuff that should have been burned a long time ago." But then there is also gooseberry jam and pumpkin butter. And colorful deciduous trees.

I call this gem, "Prairie dogs After a Lover's Quarrel."

There is truly nothing better than Indiana in the fall. I don't care what you Wisconsinite badgery people say.

And on a very unrelated note...My sister made the cutest owl cupcakes ever.

DIY Roundup: 6 Crafty Shoe Projects

2011-10-12T21:56:00.001-04:00

It's no secret that I have a thing for DIY shoes. With birds on them. Or buttons. Or zipper flowers. I believe there is a dignity in de feet. (Sorry. I had to.) Even my feet-- with the stubby toes and general wideness that I inherited from my dad.

There have been a few times when I realize how irrational my shoe collection is when I look in my closet and all I see are sequins, glitter, fringe, and purple suede... but I love a whimsical shoe. And I really love a good shoe DIY like some of these beauties.

1. DIY Saddle Shoes

With some puffy paint and a pair of cheap white sneakers, you've got yourself a retro-modern pair of sneakers. (How does retro modern even make sense?) Via Bleubird Vintage

2. Dolce and Gabbana Glitter and Sequin Heels

If you haven't seen this DIY I don't know what Internet rock you've been hiding under... I kid. I kid. Via LoveMaegan

3. DIY Anthropologie Scarf Flats

Ok so these aren't a DIY yet, but the scarf girls and I are totally going to make them at work when Sarah comes back from getting married and honeymooning and nonsense. ;)

4. Zig Zag Sneakers

Who cares about the iconic Italian designer. Ever since Missoni for Target crashed some websites and cause mass chaos with its zigzagged awesomeness, I can't get the sharp colors and bold corners off my mind. Via Refinery29

5. Sparkly Toe Heels

Completely brilliant... literally too. Via Hits and Fits

6. DIY Glitter Oxfords

I have to glitterfy a pair of shoes now. Via Little Glass Box

Also-- I am totally obsessed with Pinterest these days and I spend way too much time on it. Eep!

DIY Rosette Headband

2011-10-04T23:29:00.000-04:00

There are times when the possession of a glass head is incredibly handy. Like today. Whenever you make a headband and need a model, boom. Glass head. Perfect! (I suppose you could use your own head. But that's seriously too easy.) Plus, I think my glass head could totally pass for a doppelgänger of myself.

(I made the rosette using the tutorial made by the incredible Jessica of Cherry Street Cottage.)

What's that you say? You don't think my glass head looks anything like me? Where's the crazy hair, Stacie? Where's the dangly earrings? Glasses?

How about now.

Deer Antler Necklace Rack

2011-09-25T23:11:00.000-04:00

One of my more recent projects-- an antler necklace rack. Now these antlers might look a little weird to you, like you've never seen a deer's antlers to point out like this... And you would be quite right. Because I totally messed up and hung them wrong.
But I'm fine with having a wonky little rack on the wall. I don't have many hunter friends who would even realize that these antlers are a bit off. And even if I did have friends who knew a thing or two about deer antlers, they would probably disown me for hanging necklaces on them.

With the right tools, the antlers are pretty simple to make. I made my own plaque in my grandpa's wood shop, but one of my friends bought a deer antler mounting kit at Walmart. You just need to drill into the antlers to get them to stay on the wood.

This is one of my favorite projects in a while. I am really happy how it turned out.

Makes it much easier to choose a necklace in the morning. :)

Make a Vest from a Scarf

2011-09-18T16:17:00.000-04:00

Click-hop over top Chic Steals to see my guest post on making a vest from a scarf! You can also win the scarf vest I made if you leave a comment on Carly's blog!

I just started a new job at Affordable Style where I get to write about scarves all day. Awesome, right? So help the new girl out and enter the giveaway so that my boss will let me do some more tutorials at work. *Swoon. Seriously, any job that combines sewing machines, computers, and blogs is the bomb.com to me! Hehe.

Refinished Furniture

2011-09-13T08:29:00.001-04:00

Here are a few things I've been working on in the past month. Refinishing a dresser and a cabinet, as well as repainting my room. My room was in serious need of something because it had been painted the same color(s) since I was 13. And let me tell you-- when I was thirteen, my mom said I could decorate my room however I wanted. (Woohoo!) It was great. I chose these colors and when I came back from my 7th grade trip to Space Camp my walls looked like this:Yes. These colors are great for a 13-year-old. (And yeah, I went to the Space Camp!) Seriously, I thought my room was the best. And I am pretty sure my 13-year-old friends thought the same. But as you get older, this over-saturated color palate becomes very uncool and a bit nauseating after a return trip home from college. (Although I must say, whenever I had company in the form of girls ages 6-14, my room was still tops.)

So a few weeks ago, I painted it. A much calmer shade of blue. And I've been doing a bit of redecorating as well. Like:
1. Adding my newly refinished dresser to my room. My mom and I got this dresser at an antique store for $30. Then my dad and I worked on it for a couple of weeks to get it stripped, sanded, and refinished. A lot of work, but very fulfilling.2. Hanging some Polaroid art that I received as a graduation gift as well as a mirror I bought for 4$. 3. Using some old quilts I found around the house for bedspreads. And new shoes. Also, I love that granny square blanket. I bought it for 6$ and my mom told me how she thought it is ugly, (Story of my thrifting life.) But then I saw a Target ad making fun of granny square quilts... I still think they are pretty?4. Stacking my trusty suitcases and storing winter things, costumes, and supplies inside.

"[a trunk in the office rocks violently, and a low moan comes from inside]
Professor Moody: Wouldn't even bother to tell you what's in there, wouldn't believe me if I did."

5. Fitting my bed with leopard sheets. 6. Making arrangements from peacock feathers.7. Hanging necklaces from my DIY mounted deer antlers. (A DIY coming soon.)
8. Using my new chair.

9. Hanging things on the bulletin board.
10. And taking care of some kittehs for my grandpa. A post on the other cabinet my dad and I refinished is up next!

My Reupholstered Chairs Project

2011-08-10T01:26:00.002-04:00

(The after shot)

(The before)

So I was sifting through one of my favorite flea markets about a month ago, and I saw this chair in a booth marked for $9.50. I thought the curvy lines of the chair were beautiful, and even though the upholstery needed some work, I immediately snatched up the chair.

I was really proud of myself for such a great deal, and I left the chair in the garage to show to my dad when he got home. My dad is a furniture aficionado. His parents used to own an antique store and he has an appreciation for nice old things made of wood-- so I was excited to show him. But when he walked in the garage, I said, "Dad, what do you think my chair? Cool huh?"

My dad looked at the chair and kind of grunted. "How much did you pay for that piece of (insert the appropriate phrase spoken by a good ol' boy from the depths of Southern Indiana) ?"

I was crushed! I thought I made a bad purchase-- and money hasn't really been growing on trees for me lately during my post collegiate job search. Did I waste ten dollars? Crap.

But after a little bit of work and paint, (and help from my insanely handy and talented parents) I turned the chair into this.

In the end, my dad was really impressed. He actually apologized and said to me, "Stacie, I didn't see what you saw." It's just so funny to compare what my parents think is awesome and what I think is awesome. Stuff from the 60s and 70s that they grew up with, they think is hideous. I think it's kitschy, stylish, and a reminder of another era. To my parents, shag carpet reminds them of a smelly great aunt. To me it's a very awesome conversation starter.

I love the print, it looks like a "G" to me. For Grissom!

The chair's partner. I got it for really cheap as well because it had a little broken spot in the wood. But you can't tell with paint. (FYI: I have learned from my dad that it is blasphemous to paint good wood furniture. I'm only allowed to paint broken stuff and pine. Because, of course, pine is crap. So I've heard.)

The bottom of the cushion.

I just love curvy, feminine looking furniture. I've also been working on stripping and refinishing some dressers that I got for super cheap in an antique store. Although I might not have a job quite yet, I sure am learning some interesting and practical skills in terms of woodworking and the laws of furniture (according to my dad)...

Last summer my sister painted her furniture for her college apartment. My dad still hasn't forgiven her. It's okay though, now anytime we find something good and wooden in the attic, I get first dibs. Partly because I'm a bit of a vulture and partly because I have cultivated a love for all things wooden. As long as it's not pine. :)

Flower Pillow

2011-08-03T18:43:00.002-04:00

My newest DIY-- a flower pillow. The yellow fabric is actually a vintage dress that I bought for 4$ from an antique store in my town. It was one of those shift dresses from the 70s that women wore around the house. I'd been looking for a yellow dress for a while, but when I brought it home, my mom told me that it was hideous. (Ouch!) So then I tried to fix it and make it more flattering. But I just cut too much and accidentally ruined it. But now it is a pillow. All is well.

Close-up. The granny square blanket is another antique store purchase for 6$!

To make the flower pillow:

Take some squares of fabric and iron the sides in until they form a geometric-angular-circular thing. Then just layer them up until you are satisfied. After that, I just took my sewing machine and sewed in a swirl until the fabric was secure.

Speaking of sewing, check out the sewing machine my mom gave me for graduation. It is so cool. I have sewn some hems with flower patterns and little alligator patterns. It also threads itself!

A view of the little flowers before I stitched on them. Also, I am starting a link exchange if you want to be linked up on my blog, I'll trade you for a link on yours! Just shoot me a comment. :)

Myrtle Wears a New Flower

2011-07-22T20:41:00.001-04:00

I'm always very inspired by the ladies over at Ban.do-- they wear bright colors and glitter and always make goofy (yet adorable) videos.

As for the decision to make the brooch in hot pink, I must say that my thirteen-year-old self had a wonderful relationship with hot pink. But then pink and I had a falling out. We are working on the relationship and it seems to be blossoming again. We've mutually decided that moderation is best.

To make this flower, it's so easy.

1. Cut out a bunch of flower-looking shapes. Perhaps your idea of what a flower should be.
2. I used clear spray paint to stiffen the floppy chiffon fabric. This is optional, but otherwise you will have a floppy flower. *Note: Do this on plastic grocery bags, not newspaper. This flower has newsprint all in its middle but I hid it well.
3. Stitch the layers together, forming and shaping them into a flower. Then stitch a safety pin to pin to your shirt. Then call yourself crocodile because you're dundee!

Another color adventurer: Fantastic Mr. Wool Fox. Turquoise and rust. I've learned that anytime you're at a loss for a color combo, just look to Mother Nature. She's the best decorator around.

Myrtle the Mannequin

2011-07-11T19:42:00.004-04:00

Meet the new model for my blog: Myrtle the Mannequin. My mom has had her up in the attic for as long as I can remember, but she used to be an unappealing plastic flesh-colored creepy thing until I decoupaged tissue paper and vintage patterns to her. But more on that below. (PS-- I am the kid on the top left.) :)

Myrtle models my newest DIY, a split-color court jester cardigan, tutorial here. I first saw this idea on The Clothes Horse but never got around to sewing my own. You can also buy the cardigan from Etsy from Neneee. For the Anthropologie inspired necklace, my mom and sister followed this tutorial and gave it to me for graduation. :)

And now to Myrtle, Before:

After:

I've wanted a dress form for a while because I'm just not as good a model as Kendi or Tessa, I actually kind of hate taking outfit photos! But I love making things... So I'll just make the mannequin do all the hard work. :) Sometimes I'll do the modeling, because... well... Myrtle has no legs.

So with some decoupage...

Vintage patterns, and a paint brush...

Voila!

A soon to be frequenter of this blog. :)

Morphed Polaroids

2011-06-07T12:58:00.001-04:00

I bought a Polaroid camera a few months ago and there were still a few untaken photos in the film that was still in the camera. So I took what was left and was completely surprised by what came out. These photos are one of the reasons why I love the medium-- Polaroids can be so unpredictable, yet still a little magical. The trick is to have no specific expectations, you just have to appreciate what the camera and film give you because sometimes it is uncontrollable.

My house from February.

A flower arrangement, except the flash on the camera overexposed it a bit. Now the photo looks a little like alien vomit or something. :)

(All taken with a Polaroid One Step AF)

Whew

2011-06-06T15:42:00.003-04:00

Life has been a bit busy lately--

Finishing my nonfiction thesis on the 1977 murders in Hollandsburg, IN... (Photo was taken with my Polaroid 103 on Fujifilm 100-b)

Eating watermelon...

Trying to find haunted covered bridges on Friday the 13th...

Smelling tulips...

Attending funeral-themed frat parties... (tutorial on how to do the heart cutout on my dress)

Graduating...

Going to Vegas...

Meeting Eric Stonestreet (AKA Cam from Modern Family) in a casino and making a fool of myself by walking by him repeatedly until I gained the courage to approach him with my friend...

And sending out applications to lots of places. I stitched letters to accompany this cover letter and resume to Etsy-- if that doesn't work I'll just pack up a couple of Polaroid cameras and hang them around my neck, sit on my old-fashioned bicycle, bring some of my sister's delicious Nutella cupcakes, and knit outside Etsy's door. Someone would notice me, right? Either that or someone will mug me and take all the chocolate cupcakes.

San Juan Polaroid

2011-04-13T00:29:00.002-04:00

I have been super busy with school and absorbing the last few weeks of college, (eek!) so there has been little time to blog. But I have been taking photos, and I have a backlog of Polaroids to post. The little cameras have been working hard.

Photo of a perfect day. :) This photo was actually taken with the Diana Lens for my Nikon D40-- you can get one on Photojojo. It takes such dreamy photos--I love it.

Chickens in the street!

And my favorite photo of the whole trip:

I have been searching for almost 9 months to find the PERFECT photo of birds on a power line. I drive by on the interstate and see tons of little birds sitting and I always wish my camera was there. Well when we were walking through Old San Juan, (the oldest city in the US, I might add) there were a bunch of pigeons sitting on the power line! Granted, they are pigeons, but I still think they are kinda cool. I am still on the lookout for a power line filled with sparrows or little birds. If I found a power line full of red cardinals, I'll probably do a little dance. In public. ;)

More Polaroids coming!

DIY Heart Cutout

2011-03-16T13:30:00.002-04:00

I have been SO busy with school this semester-- my last semester! And I haven't had much time to finish DIYs... only a few here and there. this is my favorite so far this semester, and it is easy to do. Just some ironing, pinning, and stitching. :)

You need:
   -Dress (preferably not jersey knit, stiffer fabrics work best)
   -some sort of ribbon, lace, something to pin around the edges of the cutout heart.
   -sewing machine
   -pins
   -tape
   -marker

First, I taped off the dress so that I could draw a proper heart to the right size. I cut out the heart and pinned the lace around the edges (with the tape still on). Then I sewed around the edges, took off the tape, and ironed down the lace and heart. Easy!

Owl necklace, again. :)

Also-- I have lots of new things in my Etsy store-- including a coupon for 10% off! Check it out-- type in HAPPYSPRING in the coupon code box. I've got lots of Polaroid cameras, clothes, boots, and shoes for sale! :)

Valentine's Day + My Room

2011-02-14T22:30:00.001-05:00

What I wore to a Valentine's party on Saturday! I found the 2 yards of pink polka dotted fabric and it was the perfect amount to make a circle skirt. Here is the tutorial I used-- it was SO easy! I made the skirt in about an hour.

I also painted these shoes a while back, they used to be dark magenta, but I wanted pink shoes. I might repaint them later if I get tired of this color. :P

This is what I wore today, a little more class appropriate. I just took two little foam heart stickers and attached bobby pins to the back to pin them to my dress for the day.

Dr. Pepper can flowers that my roommate's boyfriend made her.

I've been so busy this semester moving into a new room and catching up with friends... plus we had a huge ice storm and school was cancelled. For TWO days.

And we skated on the ice.

And decorated our room:

Left: Best idea I've had-- attaching all my hair flowers to a scarf and hanging them. Easy access for when I want to wear them.

Right: My first doll named Baby. Usually she creeps my friends out, but she grows on people. :)

Polaroids and my glass head from a flea market. I might make a terrarium out of the head or something, it'd be so cool to have plants growing inside the head!

And the place I'm going to next weekend-- Parke County. One of my favorite places!

Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day! I'm off to do homework.

Plastic Animal Photo Holders

2011-01-21T23:28:00.000-05:00

One of my newest DIYs... These little guys to hold some photos! I saw them originally on Photojojo, (love this store, I HIGHLY recommend it)... and I decided to make my own.

My favorite is the deer. I will be keeping him for myself. :)

My other favorite-- the bull. I stuck a straight pin in his nose and then twisted it up to make a nose ring. :P

And these little guys are for sale in my Etsy store:

I also have quite a few Polaroid Cameras in my Etsy store if anyone is interested! The coolest cameras (like the rainbow Land Camera) usually sell VERY fast, so if you like it I would grab it before it gets snatched up! I ship all over the world!

More Bows

2011-01-19T17:34:00.001-05:00

Headband bows, shoe bows, regular bows, bows for shirts, bows for coats... I am still not bored with them! These headbands are my newest creations and I have been wearing them ALL THE TIME. And I also tried doing the little beehive hairdo that Aya of Strawberry Koi posted. Its the perfect hairstyle for headbands. :)

And more shoe bows. Right now I am really liking how these shoes blend in a bit with my skin. Any time high heels blend with your skin or tights, they are more flattering.

I've finally written the tutorial for these little fabric bows-- they can go anywhere, seriously!

Here is a link to my tutorial on Burdastyle.

Also, I have a TON of stuff up in my Etsy shop right now-- including this patchwork fur coat. I love this coat-- I suppose I wouldn't be too upset if it didn't sell. :) Check out my shop now!

Polaroid One Step Land Camera

2011-01-15T02:18:00.001-05:00

I am SO excited to show you the newest addition to my Polaroid family-- the Polaroid One Step Land Camera! To me, this is one of the best looking Polaroids out there. And I think Polaroids are pretty darn good looking-- but this one is tied for first with my Grandpa Deedo's brown leather SX-70.

I found the little guy in the basement of an antique store in Mooresville, Indiana. Mr. Land Camera was all alone in a dreary basket full of old leather covered 35mm Argus cameras... and when I saw him and realized what I was looking at, I literally gasped! I have been hunting for a rainbow Land Camera for a very long time.

Beautiful.

My first shot with the camera. I really like how the film always distorts the colors in the photos-- it's like the snow is sherbet or something. Tomorrow I am going to take some real snow photos with my Polaroid 103 camera.

I do have good news though-- today I found ANOTHER Polaroid One Step Land Camera and I will be listing it for sale on Etsy tomorrow. It needs a good home! So watch out for it tomorrow. :)

Also-- I felt so, so, so, so, so honored to receive a blog award from the lovely ladies Jasmine and Lou over at Koco & Viking as well as Carrie over at LifeoftheLilies! Thank you guys so much!

So the rules are that I have to say 7 things about myself and share some of my favorite bloggers who I think are stylish/creative/addictive/fun/thoughtprovoking/ and just plain awesome! Haha. :)

So 7 things:

1. I can quack like Donald Duck. Of all the skills I possess, this is one of the ones for which I harbor intense pride. To all who know me in real life-- I am sorry for overusing this skill. I know it's weird. ;)
2. I love fruit smoothies with spinach in them. Don't knock it 'til you try it.
3. I am OBSESSED with Harry Potter. Still.
4. I think animal decorations, animal knickknacks, and clothes with animals on them are awesome.
5. My Nikon D40 was the best thing I ever bought.
6. I wish people wore hats more.
7. Families are great. Even little brothers.

And here are some blogs that I think ROCK. I will add them to my sidebar soon!

   ♥ Strawberry Koi-- a fellow Hoosier!
     ♥ Esme and the Lane Way
     ♥ A Thought is the Blossom
     ♥ Cats & Dogs (Some cool DIY's here!)
     ♥ Instant Options-- great Polaroid resource.

Ok. I'm off to figure out how to make one of these. (!!!)

**from here.

Patchwork Jeans

2011-01-09T19:51:00.000-05:00

These jeans have been rolling around in my imagination for about a year now-- I finally got around to making them. I cant remember where I saw the jeans originally, but these are the original:

I made a tutorial here. They are super easy!

And some Polaroids. Mmm.

PS-- I've been making more bows like crazy!!! I'll have a tutorial for those soon. :)

Leather Bow Belt

2011-01-06T14:40:00.002-05:00

So here's my latest crafty thing-- a leather bow belt. I think bows, animals, and flowers are almost at a tie for my favorite things. My little sister got this adorable little bow belt for Christmas and I loved it so much that I tried to make one for myself. Honestly, this may be one of my favorite things I've made. Mostly because I took my time to make it look decent and it is much more practical than most of what I make. How often can you really wear jeans covered in poetry or dresses in flowers? ;)

Pink, white, and black:

My Mom's been teaching me a lot about old dishes this month, and I got some depression glass for a great deal in the little antique store in my town. Mmm.
Jeffrey Campbell shoes-- one of my favorites, ever.

I'm off to work on more projects-- I am off of school this month and I am spending it applying for jobs and figuring out stuff. And working on those New Years' resolutions:
1. Take more (and better) pictures. Read my books on photography.
2. Don't buy crappy stuff. And don't buy stuff just because it is cheap. Goodwill is for treasure hunts and Walmart is only for food. And shampoo. :)
3. Have fun with school. (That one's not too hard.)

Here's the tutorial for the belt!

Shoe Bows

2010-12-28T01:37:00.001-05:00

Here is one of my most recent projects, my friend Kelsey figured out how to make these cute little fabric bows earlier in the semester and I've been making them like crazy ever since. Honestly, can you ever have too many bows on things? I found a similar tutorial on CutOutandKeep, but I will make one soon because the bows that Kelsey taught me to make are even more simple.

Here's a better shot of the bow.

And the shoes before the bows.

I didn't like them very much before I put the extra adornments on them, they just weren't the most flattering for me. But after sticking the bows on, (with safety pins, by the way) I've rekindled my love for the shoes. And this is my problem-- I can't get rid of hardly anything because I think, "Someday, I will want these again." But. I am working on some pretty hefty new years' resolutions because I don't want to end up on Hoarders... or like my Grandma Shirley, who was the greatest grandma in the history of grandmas, (not kidding!) but also suffered from the Packrat Syndrome. I'm fighting genetics here, people.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a good holiday, I surely did.

Mom's (typical) beautiful tables.

Cozy Christmas mornings are the best.

Cameo and owl charm from Mom.

Presents-- Vintage suitcases that Mom reupholstered the insides (!!!), a hula monkey, a hand felted wool duck (the cutest thing you'll ever hold next to a real baby duck), and the SIMS 3. I got the original Sims when I was 12. Now I'm 22. :) First thing I did? Built a Sim version of my sorority.

Sim Kappa Kappa Gamma:

Real Kappa:

So the rest of my Christmas break will be spent blogging, taking photos,

being forced to wake up and go to swim meets,

and watching The Wire. :) And crafting, of course.

All work and no play...

2010-12-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

... makes life more boring than vegan food, (Sorry, Emily! :P).

This is why I love living in this house:

If I had to describe Room 11 this semester in three words:
Glitter, flowers, thrifting. Dancing comes in a close fourth. :)

DIY Boots

2010-11-21T21:29:00.002-05:00

Earlier this year I found huge bag of leather circles at Goodwill for 4$-- !!!. I had these camel colored boots that were so cheap looking that I rarely wore them so I decided to cover them with the leather scraps.

I used superglue and scissors... and that's about it. They're holding up relatively well, sometimes I have to reglue spots. :) I really like how the circles created this scalloped effect.

This weekend, my friends and I went to a nearby town-- SMALL town-- called Rockville. I love this town so much. It is so quiet and there are no big chains of any type-- only really cool antique stores and old buildings. (There's also a strange tavern/pub thing with more taxidermied animals than I've seen in my entire life... weeeird.)

Some cameos from Aunt Patty's antique store. I got a sweet old hat here.

Rockville.

Rockville.

Also in Rockville, my friends helped me with my photography project. I took the real photos I will use for my project on black and white film, but these are some of the digital photos I took as well.

BTW-- HARRY POTTER 7 IS AMAZING.

And so is my friend Jackie who dressed up with me.

Hedwig and Errol.

Messengers. :)

Fall

2010-11-11T17:32:00.001-05:00

Edna Collins Covered Bridge Polaroid (Haunted Bridge, supposedly)-- Greencastle, IN

Below are some scans of leaves I picked up while walking-- they're so detailed. It is kind of sad to me that I ignore the leaves on the ground usually, they are always quite nice and colorful.

These scans are quite fun-- I might try to do a series of scanning things I find on the ground. :)

Happy Halloween...

2010-10-31T19:56:00.001-04:00

... from Bob Dylan and a surly Allen Ginsberg-esque gal. :)

Kombi Camera from 1892

2010-09-25T22:46:00.001-04:00

This photo was taken with a Kombi Camera from 1892. Seriously, 1892. Isn't that nuts!? My Uncle Bill gave me the camera. :)

This is the Kombi. It is actually one of the first roll film cameras. More on it here.

So there isn't really any usable film around from 1892 I used some 120 film that my professor gave me and cut it up to fit in the Kombi.

Template for the film. I had to cut the film totally blind in COMPLETE darkness and then slide the film in the camera. It was difficult, but doable. I love camera hacks!

The different parts of the Kombi.

I put tape over the lens before I took a photo because I didn't want any light to leak in when the shutter is being cocked.

And the result! I am in a photography class this semester so I was able to use the dark room to develop my pictures. I recommend taking film photography. The dark room is great. :)

On another camera note-- today was parent's day at my school and we went to a little town called Rockville.

We went to this antique store and my dad bought me THIS CAMERA!!

It made my day. My dad usually disapproves of my collections but I guess he thinks this hobby is OK. Thanks for the camera, Dad. You're the best. :)

Janet, my dinosaur, loves the Brownie. She's got good taste.

Great day. :) Can't wait to work with the Kombi more.

School

2010-09-12T22:33:00.001-04:00

I'm back at school and it's grand. :) This Polaroid is DePauw-- taken with the Polaroid Spirit camera on 600 film.

Leather Pennant Necklace

2010-09-08T19:37:00.000-04:00

I saw a necklace like this on Rebecca's blog a long time ago but I cannot seem to find the photo again! It was really simple, I found little leather scraps, cut triangles, poked holes, and threaded them through an old necklace.

Also, these Converse shoes used to be pink. I had them in 7th grade but I haven't worn them in a while because pink is not really my thing at the moment. Now I wear these shoes ALL THE TIME again.

More NY Polaroids

2010-08-25T21:27:00.001-04:00

Times Square

Riverside Church

I love these colors.

Polaroid 103 Land Camera

2010-08-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

My new camera from Ebay! 2$ plus 5$ shipping... Pretty good deal. I had to do a little battery surgery to make the camera take AA batteries, but it works wonderfully now! Here is a link to the battery modification that I used.

The camera takes Fujifilm that I got on Amazon. It is so exciting to be able to buy film that is currently made at a decent price! (Films that the camera takes: Fujifilm FP-100B, FP-100C, and FP-3000B)

Radio tower.

Radio tower with Nikon D40.

Cotton candy sky.

... and I love cameras. More 103 pictures to come. :)

Chanel Wedges

2010-08-15T00:56:00.001-04:00

My "new" wedges-- actually just old ones that I painted. :) Also with my Polaroid 103 Land Camera, but I'm saving that little guy for another post.

I painted these shoes for a trip to Cincinnati with my Mom, sister, aunt, and cousin, (and also because they had stains on them). I bought the shoes in NYC for 10$ at Urban Outfitters. When I was in Cincinnati, we walked through Sak's and I saw THESE shoes on the display--

(photo from here) Minus the rope and the logo, they look the same! So then the shoes became my Chanel wedges... It's the closest thing I'll ever have to anything Chanel... Unless it's nail polish... Or thrifted :P

This awesome barn is right across the street from my house.

From the Cincinnati trip-- Cousin Laura, Sister Natalie, Me

Tutorial= soon. :)

My Town in Polaroids, Part 2

2010-08-12T15:39:00.000-04:00

The Artcraft-- an old, supposedly haunted, movie theater. I love going to see movies here.

Franklin College, Old Main

"The Line" on Herriot Street-- this is where we started and ended runs at cross country practice everyday.

*All taken with Polaroid Spirit Camera on 600 film.

Black Flower Scarf DIY

2010-08-08T17:36:00.000-04:00

A scarf I made while in NY and never got around to posting. I bought the scarf in Chinatown and then added the flowers-- it actually is much thicker and more durable than the photo makes it look, the sun was shining through the fabric. I angled the flowers in an arc because I wanted them to look random all over the scarf when it is around my neck... like this:

Remember these shoes? The flowers for the scarf are exactly the same as my shoes! Here is that post and tutorial. :)