diy bean bag tutorial

 last month i was invited to two little boys' (brothers) birthday party. on the invitation was the following request: simple, recycled, or used gifts are welcome but not expected. we value your presence more than presents. cute & awesome right? anyways, being short on cash lately, i thought, "yes! this is perfect. i'll make them something!" & thus i began my pinterest search for handmade toys. i found a couple of ideas, but didn't trust my painting or sewing skills to that extent. then my mom had an idea of sewing simple bean bags & i thought, "easy enough!"

 all i did was find some scratch fabric i had (including some old jeans) & use pinking shears to cut out 4 inch square pieces. i used cute transportation flannel for one side of both sets & the jean & red gingham for the backs (so the boys can easily tell whose is whose).

 i then zig-zag sewed around three sides to form a "pocket", added 1/3 cup of beans from the cupboard, & sewed the pocket shut.

 i thought they turned out really cute. i had some jean left over & decided to sew little bags to store the bean bags in. such a simple gift & i had such fun making it. it felt good to be crafting again!

a few little notes

me & miguel on the fourth 

photo credit: lizzie

+ miguel & i went camping in june & we had so much fun! we did forget to pack a pot to heat water for tea & oatmeal in the morning, thus cutting our trip a tad short, but it was all part of the experience & we are both waiting for the weather to cool down so we can go again! 

+ i want to try making this. i can't eat raw egg anything (i even have to have my fried eggs over hard - otherwise, my poor tummy!), so this recipe will be perfect - especially in summer! & it's healthier, which is a big plus!

+ i kind of went crazy at the jcrew factory sale...i mean 50% off the whole store & 60% off clearance?? yes please. got my first pair of jcrew ballet flats. retro jade suede. so excited. photos probably in the future! (p.s. the sale is until tomorrow so you still have time to see what there is!)

+ since it's been SO HOT lately, i really want to try this cute scarf updo from delightfully tacky: 

Head Scarf Updo Tutorial from Elizabeth on Vimeo.

+ back in june, the blogger family had a "favorite things" swap organized by maggie. i got an amazing package from shelby! thanks, shelby ;)

+ the county fair is going to be starting up again soon & i'll be working again (as i have for the past 10 summers?!) in the building where they display all of the arts & crafts, baked & preserved foods, etc. that people enter. this year i will be entering two cookie recipes (as part of my 25 before 26) & miguel will be entering his beef jerky! i'm super excited. i'm going to take the train to stay with him on monday (for our monthiversary hehe) & he's planning to start the jerky that day. he always impresses me - making his own jerky : )

+ i've been looking for a striped tee. not exactly just any striped tee, but more along the lines of THE striped tee. a comfy one that isn't fussy (meaning not see through or too clingy). what t-shirt brands do you like the most? i need help!

that's all for now! stay cool! (& for those in the cool now, stay warm! ;))

my boyfriend is super cool. he makes his own jerky. just saying.

 miguel absolutely loves jerky & had been wanting to "diy" beef jerky since he saw alton brown making some on "good eats." when he told me about it, even though i am vegetarian, i was totally down to be there when he made some himself. needless to say i was super excited & he was stoked! so this past week we bought a box fan at target & filters & bungee cords at home depot. we then picked up the remaining ingredients at safeway. it was an all-day affair (total recipe time says 20hrs 20min!) here is the recipe & here is the tv show showing alton making it on good eats. it turned out great & miguel said that next time he is going to tweak it a little to make it his own. i'm thinking this may be his new hobby : ) diy jerky!

the recipe has all the steps & ingredients, but i'll just show the steps through the photos too : )

 after trimming off the fat & freezing the 2lbs of flank steak, miguel thinly sliced it (along the grain).

 i helped create the marinade for it & we mushed it in a zip-lock to equally distribute the seasonings.

 he was so excited :D

 after letting the meat marinade for about 5 hours, miguel placed the strips in the grooves of the filters.

 stacking & using the bungee cords to strap the filters to the box fan, miguel set the fan on for about 10 hours to dry the meat out.

 the end product looks quite nice, if i do say so myself : )

 it made a lot of jerky & miguel filled four containers for storage!

i was quite impressed with the whole project. my boyfriend is quite the clever diy man ;)

making

 i baked some tasty bread pudding the other day. i love having my own kitchen & my own oven that i can make whatever i want in. not that i couldn't at my parent's, but it just seems different.

when i was visiting my parent's last weekend, my mom & i went thrifting! i hadn't gone thrifting in so long. i found this cute 90s dress with pockets. i took out the shoulder pads (because my shoulders are already really broad hehe) & added a belt & i loved the outcome.

 i really need to improve at taking outfit posts...haha. it just wasn't working for me. sorry it looks so blurry, i couldn't get in the view of the camera fast enough!

i also taught my arts & crafts class this past weekend & we followed kaylah's sweater clip tutorial where you use vintage clip-on earrings & necklace chains to make sweater clips. the girls had so much fun making theirs.

 i made one too! i love mine : )

replies:

maggie shirley: it does! i'm sad though because i can't find a theater nearby that is showing it tomorrow :/

nicola: yes i did send you something! haha finally. the letter is short, but i didn't have much time. hope it gets to you soon!

lauren: hello! wow! your house must smell so good with all that baking!

bookish.spazz: the trailer really makes it look so good doesn't it?? after you see it, someone from mix tape should do a review!!

deni: hello! & thank you so much : )

emma: hello! no worries! i'm excited to see what tips you send me : )

nicole: hello! i'm so lucky that my grandmother saved such treasures.

papermaking tutorial

hello! here it is, my papermaking tutorial : ) i'll first show you how to construct a mould & deckle for papermaking & then i'll show you how to use it to make paper!

the mould & deckle
what you need:
sisscors
staple gun
two wooden frames that are the same size with the backings taken out (i got mine from the thrift store for cheap!)
screen (like for screen doors)
1. cut a piece of screen that is a little bigger than your frame. staple the screen tightly around one of the frames like shown. trim the excess screen.2. the other fram lays on top of the frame with the screen. & there you have it! you have constructed a mould & deckle for paper making.making paper
what you need:
newspaper or felt (for drying the paper on)
mould & deckle
sponge
blender
different types & colors of paper (not glossy magazine paper though)
large, shallow tub full of water
water
1. decide what color paper you want to make & tear up paper into the blender accordingly. i decided to make purple paper, so i tore blue & red paper.2. fill the blender with water. i did one cup of water for every two pages of paper. but you just need enough water so it mixes & cuts the paper well into pulp.3. blend the paper & water until it has a nice consistancy like below.4. pour the blended paper & water into the large tub of water. stir until well mixed. dip the mould & deckle into the tub at an angle & then level out to catch some paper pulp into it. (remember, the screen frame is on the bottom & the other fram is on top for the mould & deckle)5. let the mould & deckle drip as much water as possible. take off the top frame.6. lay the screen frame upside down on the newspaper or felt. sponge up all the excess water from behind the screen. you will have to do this a few times until most of the water is gone.7. gently lift the screen frame up. hopefully the paper will stay down on the newspaper or felt. if it starts to stick to the screen, you should try to sponge more water up before you lift the screen.8. lay out the newly made paper on the newspaper or felt out in the sun to dry.9. when the paper is dry, gently peel the paper from the newspaper or felt. & you did it! you have made paper! you can experiment with adding more colors to your tub of water or even plant pieces or glitter!
i hope you enjoyed my tutorial : ) i hope everything was clear. if you have any questions, you can ask in the comments.

making stamps

hello! i hope everyone is having a restful weekend. if you don't know already, i volunteer to teach girls arts & crafts after school. yesterday i had my the class & i taught my girls (the glasses are lizzie's) how to make their own stamps using speedball. i recently invested in speedball tools & i love them! i also taught them how to make stamps with styrofoam. & i have included my first-ever tutorial of how to make stamps from styrofoam! (don't mind my painted fingers:])styrofoam stamp tutorial
things you need:
cork from wine bottle
needle
thin styrofoam
pen or marker
candle
paint1. poke the blunt end of the needle into the cork so that the cork acts as a "handle" for the needle.
2. draw your design on the styrofoam.3. light the candle & heat the end of the needle on the flame from the candle.4. use the heated end to cut out your design. you will have to heat the needle a few times to get all around your design. i advise doing this outside because the fumes from the melting styrofoam is not good to breath in!5. once your design is cut out, paint the side you want to use & stamp it on paper. you just finished your first styrofoam stamp!

replies:

dandelionkisses: yeah it reminds me of something you would want to do - all 60s & such : ) ooo yeah that one is my favorite too! i want to make a drawstring backpack with it.

cookie cutter: hehe. well it was a neat experience. i think everyone should participate in one once in their lifetime. it feels good to stand up for something you believe in.

dylana: hello! thank you! nice! i like how protests like this give students a sense of unity.

amy: since it was my first time, i was a little nervous & not sure what to expect. i can't wait to think of the perfect thing to make with the fabric : )

thy lady: haha it was! aw & i am blushing now : ) you are too sweet. oh & the sandwich was definitely yum!

the fashion bloggess: hello! thank you : )