Editing in Picasa

I won't pretend to be some fancy pants when it comes to photo editing.  I don't own photoshop or any other expensive editing software to transform my pictures (although I'd like to at some point).  What I do use, however, is Picasa 3.

                


As an artist, everything I see is a potential canvas.  That includes my face!

Where did October go?

It seems like years since I last blogged.  Getting back into the swing of working full-time has thrown my "for fun" schedule out the window.  Fortunately, I do have a few moments of freedom.  Ah - adulthood.

What I've been up to as of late:

Looking back on the 4th

Who doesn't love a great fireworks show?  I hope everyone had a great time with friends and family!

Men's Polo Refashion!

I've been wanting to do something like this for A LONG time, especially after seeing all of the inspiring blog posts.  With my sewing machine missing a necessary part,  tasks requiring a thread and needle often take twice as long, so I've been holding out.

No longer!

Here's a bit of a twist on what you've probably already seen in the blogosphere -

                                   
Cute, huh?

Here's a little tutorial:

For the bows:

Cut a part of the collar and fold it.

Take your needle and pull thread through the center (where my fingers are) and wrap it around a few times.

Use leftover pieces of the polo to make strips for the center of the bows.

Just wrap them around the center, over the thread, and stitch it up.

After that you can attach them wherever you want.

Baby Shower DIY

Many of my friends are welcoming new additions to their families this year.  So, I've been invited to many baby showers.  And the normal presents just won't do.

I'm always exited to use my craftiness to create something more memorable than a few adorable but purchased outfits and a box of diapers.  For baby Urijah, I decided to find a bib and bootie tutorial.

For the bib, I made my own pattern.  If you're familiar with bibs at all, it's fairly simple.  I added a tie AND snaps so it will be able to adjust as the baby grows.  The top fabric is 100% cotton while the back and accents are felt.

The booties were a bit more complicated, so I found a simple pattern from the Purl bee.  If you have extra felt, thread, and elastic handy, you're good to go.  It's hard to tell from the crappy cell phone pictures I took, but I added little felt baseballs to the sides.  The parents are White Sox fans, so I thought they'd appreciate it.

And you can't forget the bag!  I went for a minimalist approach here, as I'm not too fond of the super sweet, commercialized baby prints.

When I'm ready to have my own children, I have a feeling most items with be homemade.  At least for the first one - since I'll have the time!

Odosketch: A fun way to waste time

Everyone probably already knows about it, but ODOSKETCH is seriously entertaining.  I was initially attracted to the color scheme and quality of the simulated mediums used.  But what really hooked me was being able to watch the drawing as a process.  You can actually see every step the artist took in making it!  Cool, yeah?

So I made and account and took the site for a spin.  Check out my fantabulous drawing/s here. 

Prometheus

POTENTIAL SPOILERS***

I went to see Prometheus over the weekend with my younger sister.  I've drawn out our reactions.

Fatkini Debate

Anyone in the blogosphere is sure to know Gabi from GABIFRESH, the proud and confident "fat" blogger who's obviously started a bit of a stink over the "fatkini".  She was interviewed recently about said swimwear and I just finished viewing an article from the Daily Mail (found here ) about it.

I have to say that I'm completely disgusted by the body prejudice our society is so obsessed with. 

But it's not healthy!  It's a horrible example for our children!

How can health be defined by a picture?  We don't know how healthy or unhealthy a person is.  We can certainly guess, but why do we care?  Do we honestly have sincere feelings of concern for these individuals?  Of course not.  That's the biggest lie body-prejudiced people spread. 

Who's feeding our children?  Parents, hopefully.  So who should be responsible?  It's utter bullshit for "parents" to target fat adults expressing love for their bodies as poor role models.

What kind of guy wants that?

Ultimately, what you're saying is a woman's opinion of her body should be reduced to how often a man might "want" it.  Ladies, you didn't burn your bras for that. 

But I don't want to see that at the beach!  Why should I have to look at your ugly body and ruin my day?  Change yourself, because I don't like it.

If people were honest, that's what they'd actually say.  We're horribly selfish.  A whiny bunch of assholes.  We should at least admit it.

Me and Mr. Darcy: A Book Review

I've just finished Alexandra Potter's novel, and I'm interested enough in the reading experience as a whole to tell you about it.  Follow the link, if you please: Me and Mr. Darcy

#Life

Yeah, the title's a hashtag.  Doing the Twitter lately.

More than ever, since I first found myself without work, I've been wanting to dig a moderately-sized hole in the ground and disappear for a while.  If I didn't have a bit of claustrophobia to worry about, I think I might enjoy living so.

Tom Hiddleston, a.k.a. Loki

To those of you still waiting to see The Avengers, DO IT NOW.  Captain America was the last 'hero' film I watched prior to A's release, and I wasn't very impressed.  Actually, I forgot that I had it playing for an hour or so.  I will say that it was decent background noise.

Also, I believe I've developed a new crush.  At this point I can't decide if it's his adorable face (look at that smile!) or how completely BATSHITCRAZY he is over playing Loki.  Such enthusiasm is rather endearing.  Live it up, Tom.  We love you.

 

Again, that face! 

I should also mention that he can be found reciting Shakespeare.  Look out Alan Rickman!

Zazzle

I've been creating stuff on Zazzle for some time, although I've never given serious thought to selling anything.  I don't have much of a following to really make a profit.  And I'm not exactly confident that people will be that interested in my merchandise.  Artsy literary hipster types aside.

HOWEVER, if you are interesting in glancing at what I've got, feel free to click on the "store" link above.

That sounds like a sexual invitation, doesn't it?

I DON'T SELL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

AVENGERS LURV

I have been looking forward to this movie since I saw its teaser.  As a sort of nerdy fangirl type, I'm used to expecting the worst when I enter a theater.  Thankfully, this one didn't disappoint!  It was a perfect balance of humor and intensity - with a dash of bromance.  Who could ask for more?

In honor of the event, and the fact that I have been wanting to for some time, I decided to try out the "hair chalk" trend.  It's not as messy as I expected, but I'm a bit worried about the state of my hair after I wash this stuff out.  I might dip my head in oil to get the moisture back.

    

Road Trip Adventure

I recently returned from a rather long road trip with a friend of mine.  She took the plunge and made the move to California.  L.A. to be exact.  We drove her car from Illinois, down through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.  The heat wasn't too friendly on her vehicle, and we almost got stranded in the middle of sandy nowhere.  Thankfully, the 98 degree weather didn't completely destroy her engine and we made it to the misty coast. 

Shirt Pretties: Neckline DIY

I purchased this long sleeved shirt from New York & Company a long time ago when it was on clearance.  I liked the color (I know...it's gray) and the sparkly neckline, but I had no idea how much it would itch.  Seriously.  I would rub my skin raw after an hour of wearing it.  Whoever had sewed it left sequins pieces along the inside, and I no matter how many I tore out I could always feel something stabbing me.

SO, long story short, I cut it off.

(I could probably say something here about the efficiency of cutting off whatever is stabbing you...but I'll spare you.)

No need to fear for the pretty but itchy neckline embellishment.  I attached it to another shirt to hide a neckline that I didn't like.

I should also probably mention that I did this last year, so the poor gray shirt has been sitting, relatively destroyed, for that long.  I'm glad I found some pretty fabric and decided to fix it up.

I'm rather fond of braids, so I made one from three glued pieces of fabric that I cut long enough to fit the length of the neckline.  My sewing machine is currently out of commission, so I used hot glue to bind the edges and make a fabric tube of sorts.

I glued down one end to the shirt and began to braid the length.

After you attach the free end of the braid to the other should (mindful of how high you want the neckline to be) you should then attach the shirt to the neckline.  I glued this too and made little puckers, since the fabric was rather billowy.

Before I attached the bottom of the shirt:

After:

Pretty, ya?  I'm hoping that it's not too low in the front.  It looks that way here, even though I measured, so we'll see.

Sparkles and Toadstools

The funds have been a bit short lately, so most of my DIY aspirations have been put on the shelf.  Except for these lovelies:

Sparkly Tennis Shoes, via Mod Podge and glitter

Wicker Toadstool, via old wicker stool and craft paint

I've been wanting to re-invent my wardrobe lately, without the hefty price tag, so I've had to compile an inventory of everything I want to salvage.  This whole 'shopping from your closet' thing is actually a decent idea.  I'll keep you posted!

Thoughts

This blog is such a mess, so I've decided that I don't mind posting random epiphanies as they come.  Who knows...it might help someone out?  Anyway -

I've always been taught to avoid problems, to take the safest route away from situations that I might come to regret.  That seems like generally decent advice.  Who wants regret, right? 

However, I've recently realized that there are some problems that won't go away unless you confront them face-to-face, to truly understand why you're suffering to begin with.  Perhaps it's just a personality quirk, but I answer most of my own questions mid-trauma.  It becomes a 'why didn't I figure this out before' moment, rather than a 'I shouldn't have done that at all' regret.   

DIY Lampshade

One of the projects that I've been working on is a custom lampshade from newspaper/magazine cut outs.  I found a few old mags from my grandfather's collection - mostly Women's Day and the like.  A few of the ads were rather funny:

Obviously, smoking was very popular.  "You've come a long way, baby."

The idea is fairly simple and you'll only need a few materials.

What You'll Need:

1. Glue (I used a combination of hot glue and Mod Podge)

2. Newspaper/Magazines

3. Scissors

I attached the newspaper background with hot glue.  Given the texture of the lampshade, Mod Podge wouldn't work.  I think cut out magazine clippings and glued them down with Mod Podge:  one layer underneath and one over the top.  I also covered the newspaper with a layer of MP, which made it delightfully shiny!

The most difficult part?  Keeping all of the random edges glued down!  I'm going to go along the bottom with tape, if necessary.

And yes, that man is asking:  "Heard any good pickles, lately?"

Apartment Therapy

Perhaps my current obsession with Apartment Therapy has something to do with my rather morose mood - because nothing makes me happier than DIY lampshades and quirky knickknacks.  I've been particularly fond of pale walls and furniture, blending together in a beige haze.  Salmon and mustard tinted accessories aside.

Unfortunately, I've put myself on a rather stringent budget due to economic hardship, so there's been little room for retail therapy.  It's a good thing that I can turn most junk into an interesting conversation piece.

I'm hoping to take some decent pictures of what I've been up to by tomorrow.  I still have a bedroom overhaul to complete, included mattress swapping, so we'll see how it goes.

Here are a few ideas that I really 'dig' -

DIY Inspiration: Stacked Table Shelving

7 Doormats You Can Make for Yourself

Moo Lamp:  Peta-Approved Taxidermy

I don't know if I could pull off the "Moo" look, though....