Do You Like It Well Done? 'Cuz I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well

House Renovation

2012-12-30T09:38:00.001-07:00

I haven't written on my blog in a long time...and yes, that may be a bit of an understatement.

I started this blog a few years ago doing small projects - a chandelier and some other Ikea Hacks, some awesome birthday gifts for my friends (I custom made them, of course they are awesome), and sharing my different passions (like my newest love/addiction: Pinterest - where I have 52 boards of inspiration @ ChristinCupcake).

Now, I'm moving into a bigger direction: a whole house. I bought my very first house--a real fixer-upper! My polite friends who have seen it try to say something nice and end up saying, "It needs a lot of work..." with their voice trailing off as they look around at the holes and half-finished projects. I'm not going to lie, it does look lilke that right now. There are a few visionaries who have made comments such as "It is going to be really nice when you finish it" and "This place is cute". That's how I feel - put me in that category - I'm sold (in more ways then one).

My dad, or my right-hand man (or maybe I'm his right-hand man at this point), describes it as follows: "Your house is in shambles, how can you be looking at paint colors?". That's my futuristic thinking (or part of my strengths according to StrengthsQuest). It has proven to be a valuable tool throughout this project as I am already assessing problems like "Why is the garage light switch behind the door that goes out to the garage? You have to shut that door again just to get to the light switch." That is bad planning. This house is a series of bad planning. No offense to the previous homeowners, but sometimes, we can't even figure out what you were thinking. And this is not my first house I have helped renovated either.

So I have set a goal: to have this shambly house ready to move in by my birthday. This means I am only going to have to make one mortgage payment without actually living in the house -- sigh, it's not so bad. My birthday is March 9th and is also right around Spring Break at work (I think we get 2.5 days off, but I'll take it. Most working-folk don't even know what Spring Break is anymore. I get an extended weekend to move in - and I feel very lucky for that).

So follow me along this journey as I work on getting this house into Wow - Bam - "I can live in here"- status. I will come up for a better name for this end-point as we go along, but it will be beautiful <3

The Pictures
So you're probably wondering what it looks like and what I have to do. I'm only going to breeze over this now and upload more pictures later (I have a lot of other pictures, organized into folders by room of course). Here's a few to hold you over.

That's my house inspector down the hall and this built-in had to come out - along with the wall behind it.

Yes, this wall. This wall blocking the fireplace view and shrinking the living room

After I bought the house and was waiting for it to close, this showed up on my outside wall. Affectionately named "Ahhh Frog" by Rylan, this will have to go as well. If not for me, then for my neighbors.

This is more of that bad planning. (1) The wood is exposed and not sealed on the ceiling. (2) The security door hits the light and it is now bent

I finally scrapped all this wallpaper off the guest bath, which makes the ceilings look taller. That light fixture is going to go too.

This room is pink, green, and purple (you can't see that side from this picture). Oooh joy!

But it might be the future guest/exercise room.

This room might be the future office/craft room.

The master is lavendar and blue right now - these don't even go together...

Yeah, that will be my kitchen. We took off the cabinets and today I am going to sand them so I can restain them. Also, there is a fireplace in my dinning room, which could be cool.

We took out the wall. The whole space flows better - you can see.

We took out the flooring. My future pantry is going to be next to the support wall which has to stay (next to the wall we took out)

Pretend those 2 rooms aren't there. This is his patio that he enclosed that we are tearing back down into the patio again. The rooms aren't to code, there is mold growing, everything is wet from the rain last week because it rains through the roof into the rooms, he used styrofoam to insulate parts of it, other sections weren't insulated, and there is no heating or air conditioning in these rooms. As cool as it would sound to say I have a five bedroom house, these bedrooms are gross and coming down.

We're getting the inside done before we tackle the outside. But there's holes in the siding we need to fix.

I have to get over to the house and get to work. Doesn't matter that I have a cold and my nose looks like Rudolph. Time is wasting - I have to go back to work on Wednesday and like my friends say, "This place needs a lot of work..."

♥ Create a space you love fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Inspiration Board: Cupcake Birthday

2011-02-11T10:44:00.002-07:00

This year my birthday will be bigger than ever; it's "Christin's Cupcake Comedy Birthday Bash!". To make this cupcake party come to life, I've scoured the blogs and done multiple google image searches to find these inspirational pictures - with 3 weeks to go, I've still got time to make some of this come to life:

Balloon Bouquets

Each table will feature a balloon bouquet with the central cupcake balloon being at the top

Popcorn Cupcakes

The popcorn is actually marshmallows on top of frosting - they are really cute

Cupcake Lanterns

Lantern lights with a cupcake liner - can decorate it with sequins/rhinestones

Pin the Cherry on the Cupcake

Going back to the good-'ole days of childhood

Cookies as Cupcake Toppers

Cookies always make a party better, and these cute treats can make a cupcake better too!

Decorate a Cupcake Card Mailbox

A cute way for guests to put birthday cards in your card box

Cupcake Nails

You're going to want to splurge on this - or at least I do!

Candy Cake

Because what girl doesn't like a little candy in her life?

Lollipop Grass Liners

I can make something like to go around the grass in the backyard to tie in the color scheme and bring some decoration to the other side of the party space

Candy Bar

Amazingness -- who needs drinks when you have a bar of candy!

♥ Happy Partying fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Yelp!

2011-01-31T20:52:00.003-07:00

Do you have a Yelp yet? I just started my Yelp page today and I'd love for you to check it out: http://i-do-it-well.yelp.com

If you like looking at the posts I make here, you'll probably enjoy my reviews on different restaurants and other fun facts on Yelp!

It's free to become a Yelp member and you can create a fun profile and connect to friends like all great social networking sites allow you to do. Here's a tidbit of my info:

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When I'm Not Yelping...

Making furniture/other crafts, baking, or shopping (my weakness!)

Why You Should Read My Reviews

I'm one of the pickiest eaters you'll meet; if I like, you probably will too!

My Last Meal On Earth
I couldn't choose just one...but Icelandic Lobstor tops my list

Don't Tell Anyone Else But...

I eat 3 times as much as my boyfriend

Most Recent Discovery

Cake Pops....yum!

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♥ Happy Yelping fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

A Simpsons Kind Of Birthday

2011-01-27T22:55:00.001-07:00

I made Simpson cupcakes last year (Having Fun with Cakes and Cupcakes), but this year I wanted to make something that would last a little longer. Here's what I put together, from a one-of-a-kind storage box to fun cake pops and a donut cake to top it all off!

The Box

The Cakes

♥ Happy Birthday fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

RECAP

2011-01-19T01:59:00.002-07:00

Thank you for checking out the I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well blog. Here's a recap of the topics I cover and the most popular posts for that subject:

Projects

I'm a Hacker - an Ikea Hacker

Ikea Hacker: 3rd Times a Charm

My Chandelier Hack

I Make Great Christmas Gifts

Food

Having Fun with Cakes and Cupcakes

I BAKED IT!

I Bake Too!

Fitness

8 Great Alternative Workouts

To A Healthy New You

To A Healthy New You BOOKS

Music

Funny Video Parodies

Songs of the Day

Pets

Not Your Average Pet Furniture

Eco

Untraditional Gift Wrap

Web

Santa's Christmas List Gets an Update

Favorite Clothing Websites

Fashion

For the Love of Shiny Things

Favorite Clothing Websites

Tips

THE Ikea Sale

Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale

Fun Date Ideas

More Fun Date Ideas

To A Healthy New You

To A Healthy New You BOOKS

Books

To A Healthy New You - BOOKS

♥ Happy Reading Fellow Crafters
And As Always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.
Love, Christin

I Bake Too!

2011-01-18T21:54:00.001-07:00

♥ Happy Baking Fellow Crafters

And As Always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Ikea Hacker: 3rd Time's A Charm!

2011-01-10T15:06:00.065-07:00

I love working on new designs and changing different products into what I really want. Here are a few of my designs that made it onto Ikea Hacker that I would love to share with you. I submit designs to Ikea Hacker ever so often so check back for more of my work to be featured on this blog if chosen.

Basketball Table
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/01/basketball-table.html

When making this basketball table, I started by sawing off the flower insert of the Ikea Klingsbo table. I then attached rubber feet that I purchased at a local dollar store to the bottom of the metal flower centers and created a unique kitchen trivet perfect for keeping hot dishes and platters from touching the table.

I then used a basketball net, an embroidery hoop that I had spray painted black, some long skinny hooks and small short hooks, super glue, and a Phoenix Suns magnet and basketball to make this fun basketball nightstand for my boyfriend:

Love Notes XOXO Chalkboard Cookbook Cabinet Organizer http://www.ikeahackers.net/2010/12/love-notes-xoxo-chalkboard-cookbook.html

This was made using the Ikea Grevback shoe shelf, chalkboard spraypaint, heart knobs, rhinestone letters, and contact cement.

How to make a crystal chandelier

http://www.ikeahackers.net/2010/12/how-to-make-crystal-chandelier.html

This was made using the IKEA Tidig light, binder rings, keychain rings, 3-4 candle holders from Hobby Lobby or any other crystal hangings that you can find. I also used crystal Christmas tree ornaments shaped like hearts and hooks to attach the power cord to the wall (if you did not have a seperate light to hook up the TIDIG to).

Once the chandelier was finished, I used the light shades leftover from the lamp as votive candle holders. To decorate them, I attached rhinestone heart stickers and flipped them over so that I could place the votive candles (or tealights) inside what was originally the frosted shades. It is great when you can truly utilize every piece for both you and the environment.

♥ Happy Hacking fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

To A Healthy New You BOOKS

2011-01-05T00:42:00.000-07:00

I'm a lover of books and I wanted to share with you some great books that will help you start your new year as a "Healthy New You".

100 Best Health Foods

The ultimate superfoods for healthy living including 100 nutritious recipes

100 Best Health Foods - The Ultimate Superfoods for Healthy Living Including 100 Nutritious Recipes)

$4.99 at Home Goods, about $13 at Amazon

CookingLight: way to cook

The complete visual guide to everyday cooking.

delicious recipes. fresh, healthy ingrediants. smart tools & techniques.

Cooking Light Way to Cook: The Complete Visual Guide to Everyday Cooking

$19.77 on Amazon, $19.99 at Home Goods

The Men'sHealth Big Book of Food and Nutrition

Your completely delicious guide to eating well, looking great, and staying lean for life!

The Men's Health Big Book of Food & Nutrition: Your completely delicious guide to eating well, looking great, and staying lean for life! (Mens Health)

$14.21 on Amazon, $23 at Barnes and Noble

Eat This Not That: Restaurant Survival Guide

The no-diet weight loss solutions

Eat This Not That! Restaurant Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution

Keep this book in your car and take it with you when you go to a restaurant! These simple changes make a big difference. And there is a whole series of these books:

Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution

Keep this one in your bag when grocery shopping!

Cook This, Not That!: Kitchen Survival Guide

Cook This, Not That! Easy & Awesome 350-Calorie Meals

Eat This Not That! 2010: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution

Eat This, Not That! 2011: Thousands of easy food swaps that can save you 10, 20, 30 pounds--or more!

Eat This Not That! for Kids!: Be the Leanest, Fittest Family on the Block!

Eat This Not That! The Best (& Worst!) Foods in America!: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution

Drink This Not That!: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution

Biggest Loser: Simple Swaps

100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle

The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle

Biggest Loser Family Cookbook: Budget-Friendly Meals Your Whole Family Will Love

The Biggest Loser Dessert Cookbook: More than 80 Healthy Treats That Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth without Breaking Your Calorie Budget

About 14.95 on Amazon

Hungry Girl

Hungry Girl 1-2-3: The Easiest, Most Delicious, Guilt-Free Recipes on the Planet

Hungry Girl Chew the Right Thing: Supreme Makeovers for 50 Foods You Crave

Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories

Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World

Hungry Girl Happy Hour: 75 Recipes for Amazingly Fantastic Guilt-Free Cocktails and Party Foods

Look for the newest addition to the series on March 29, 2011:

Hungry Girl 300 Under 300: 300 Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Dishes Under 300 Calories

♥ Happy Reading fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

More Fun Date Ideas

2011-01-05T00:36:00.000-07:00

Sports Game

Most men will love this - I always know an easy gift my boyfriend will love are tickets to the Phoenix Suns game.

Some men prefer football, others hockey or soccer, but my man prefers basketball all the way and we go a couple times a season together for our date nights.

I make sure to get some ice cream or a stadium hot dog while I am there and take pictures with all the giant Suns players.

Bowling (and Cosmic Bowling)

This one is great for double or triple dates. We took his brother and his brother's girlfriend out for a great night of Cosmic Bowling. The music is blasting, the lights are flashing, and I'm ready to bowl with my own sparkle bowling ball. You can even up the ante and make it more competitive by placing bets and having the "losers" by the "winner" dinner/dessert/a drink.

Festivals/Special Events

There are tons of them every weekend! I've been to the cupcake festival and the chocolate festival - both of which were amazingly delicious. We also attending the grand opening of Chandler's new City Hall building and got to go on a behind-the-scenes tour. So what's your interest? - explore the world of festivals, conventions, exhibitions, and special events and have a blast with a friend or partner. And don't forget, the State or County Fair, Flea Markets, or Swap Meets! Check out the Brooklyn Flea next time you are in NY.

The ZOO

We love animals and I love the more interactive parts of the zoo where you can pet them, feed them, or hold them. Here are the more interactive pictures at Zoo's all across Arizona:

I'm actually scared of birds and this one landed on my head...

Hiking/Camping

Any chance we get alone together to just talk - even if it is when walking the dog- is considered a date to us. We like to go on long hikes all across Arizona - from Tucson to the Grand Canyon - and we sometimes do take our dog (who has little shoes now thanks to my Aunt who got her some cute ones). We even camp in the snow; however, this was not our smartest idea yet.

I make sure I still get my cell phone service, even if we are camping in the wilderness. You will usually never catch me without my little Blackberry.

Day Hikes Shown Above

Camping Snow Trip (with a bit of hiking) Shown Below

It was really cold, who's idea was this?

Oh wait, it was ours:

Game Night

Games don't have to be boring anymore. With Uno Attack, Taboo, Clue, and the new Scene It Games, even traditional board games have a new twist. And don't forget video games too - we like to battle each other playing Def Jam Rapstar for the XBOX 360 (his) or Glee Karaoke Revolution for the Wii (mine).

Movie Marathon Days

Most movies are coming out with sequels. So why not grab a set and watch them and a movie-themed marathon day. My dad and I like to watch Harry Potter together and to make it even more fun, you can get some of the candies at specialty stores from the movie and make themed cupcakes and other treats.

Watching Jurassic Park? Make dinosaur cookies!

Back to the Future? A cake shaped like the DeLorean.

You can even do this with your favorite TV Show. Make Cosmo's and enjoy watching each Season of Sex and the City. Or grab a pot of coffee and watch Friends.

Movie marathon days can be really fun for rainy days, or lazy days, or both!

♥ Happy Listening fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Fun Date Ideas

2011-01-04T14:06:00.003-07:00

For this new year, it is time to do some new dates. Dinner and a movie is nice, but when you do it every week it becomes a lot less fun and a lot more drab. Drab dates are a big no-no when you are trying to keep the romance and fun alive in your relationship. Here are some great date ideas to help you step outside your dating comfort zone:

Pottery Painting

A great date for your significant other or a friend. Plus, the pottery you make can be a great gift for yourself and a friend. Check out some of the ones I've made over the past year:

My friend Kyra and I had a great time making cupcake jars - she made

the small version and I made the large version.

The cupcake cookie jar is for me.

The shoe plate was a gift I made for my boyfriend's brother and his girlfriend.

On our 6 year anniversary, my boyfriend and I painted plates.

We eat off of them during special stay-at-home date nights.

For our 7 year anniversary, I painted this Phoenix Suns platter tray for my boyfriend. I was going to surprise him and run next door to pick it up while we were eating; however, they closed early for New Year's so I wasn't able to give it to him until the next day!

NOTE: see the color difference between the unfired version (left) and the fired version (right)

Couples Lessons

You have to be lucky enough to have a special kind of man to do this one - my boyfriend of 7 years did not want to do any of the following together except maybe the massage lessons (which I knew he would hold against me later). However, I have two great friends who actually met going to Salsa Dancing Lessons - they now go every Friday and it is a great part of their relationship (and a great workout too!).

1) Dancing Lessons: dance the night away with ballroom, line dance, salsa, and more
2) Cooking Lessons: learn to make tasty meals and desserts in the kitchen together
3) Massage Lessons: learn the right technique to make your partner loose

4) Sex Lessons: yeah, it may be a little awkward, but you might learn something new

Drive-In Movie Date

Yes, the do still exist. We went to a nice three screen drive-in out in Scottsdale that actually shows 2 movies for each ticket you pay for. They are grouped together so 2 Romantic Comedies are on one screen (we saw "Easy A" and "Life As We Know It"), 2 Action movies are on another screen, and 2 Scary movies play on a different one.

It is a fun great way to watch a movie; plus, no more shoving snacks in your purse, you can bring your own nice food in the back of car. We actually went over and picked up 2 cheesecakes from Cheesecake Factory and watched our movie under our lovely Phoenix Suns blanket!

Collage Night (pics coming soon)

My boyfriend and I have done this a few different times but the basic concept is simple. Take a bunch of old magazines and some scissors and cut out pictures, words, or letters. Re-arrange them in a meaningful way and glue down with decoupage glue like "Mod Podge". Here are some things we have made with our collages:

1) Memory Box: decorate the outside and store all the little mementos like ticket stubs, flyers, and pamphlets

2) Tissue Box: for something you will get almost daily use out of, buy a wooden tissue box at a craft store like JoAnn's and get ready to decorate

3) Card or Message Poster: My boyfriend actually was sweet enough to make me a poster of all the ways he is going to be a better boyfriend (haha, it must have been after he did something that made me upset) and we could have a better relationship

♥ Happy Dating fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

To A Healthy New You

2011-01-02T22:21:00.008-07:00

The New Year is here and I'm sure many of you - like me - set resolutions to lose weight and get in shape. I started with a few quick changes this year:

Got a bunch of new books on fitness, health, and cooking light
Purchased some new exercise equipment: a pink thigh master, waist trimmer band, and thigh shorts that help you sweat out the excess water weight
Vowed to hop on the elliptical for 10-20 min while watching TV instead of just going straight to the recliner
Jumping on my new 12-ft trampoline - wooh! I promise you get very tired, very quick
Ordering the small size at restaurants and cutting back by portion controlling my food intake
Drink more cold water - cold water helps you shed more calories because your body requires energy to heat that cold water to match your body temperature

These little steps were easy to do, but remember, even 10 minutes makes a difference - it is better than nothing at all. In fact, three 10 minute workouts on a treadmill or elliptical is equal to one 30 minute session on the same equipment. You might even be able to push yourself harder in those 10 minute spurts. So maybe you don't have enough time for a whole workout, but you could squeeze in 10 minutes here or there and later in the day you may be able to do it again. It all adds up!

Fitness DVDs

Whenever I'm in the checkout line, I always like to look at the bargain DVDs. You can often get great workout DVDs for about $4.99 - I got 2 SHAPE magazine workout DVDs at discount shops and you can find some too at Home Goods, TJ Maxx/Marshalls, and Ross.

Here are some great ones that I would recommend:

Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease Collection - Carmen's Fitness Collection

With 4 DVDs in this set, I use "Fit 2 Strip" the most often because it is a full-body workout that lasts about 45 minutes. Although there is no dancing on this one, it really is a great workout to get in shape.

The Girls Next Door Workout DVD

Girls Next Door Workout

Self Magazine Workout DVD Set:

Slim and Sleek Fast, Sculpt Sexy Legs Fast, Bikini Ready Fast , Firm Flat Abs Fast

Self Magazine Exercise 3 DVD Box Set : Slim and Sleek Fast , Bikini Ready Fast , Firm Flat Abs Fast : 3 DVD Box Set

Self Magazine Exercise 4 DVD Box Set : Slim and Sleek Fast , Sculpt Sexy Legs Fast , Bikini Ready Fast , Firm Flat Abs Fast : 4 DVD Set

♥ Happy Health fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Favorite Clothing Websites

2010-12-28T15:01:00.005-07:00

This post may be dangerous for the ladies, but at least I now have a record of some of my favorite stores - many of which I have ordered from myself (A "*" is next to the ones I have personally ordered from online):

A is for...Alloy*: http://store.alloy.com/frontpage.do?commTrack=shopChannelNowFromAlloy&incmpid=alloymediaAlloyshopnow
and A is for...A'GACIA: http://www.agacistore.com/
and A is for...American Apparel: http://store.americanapparel.net/

B is for...Body Central*: http://www.bodyc.com/
and B is for...Bebe: http://www.bebe.com/

C is for...Charlotte Russe*: http://www.charlotterusse.com/home/index.jsp

D is for...Delias*: http://store.delias.com/
and D is for...DH Styles: http://www.dhstyles.com/
and D is for...DEB: http://www.debshops.com/home/index.jsp
and D is for...DownEast Basics: http://www.downeastbasics.com/

E is for...E Dress Me: http://www.edressme.com/

F is for...Forever 21*: http://www.forever21.com/default.asp
and F is for...Fashion Bug: http://fashionbug.lanebryant.com/
and F is for...Frederick's of Hollywood*: http://www.fredericks.com/
and F is for...Funky Chic: http://www.funkychic.com/

G is for...Go Jane: http://www.gojane.com/
and G is for...Gianna's Closet: http://www.giannascloset.com/
and G is for...Gap*: http://www.gap.com/

H is for...Heavenly Couture: http://www.getheavenly.com/

I is for...Ice, as in Pink Ice: http://www.pinkice.com/

J is for...JCPenney: http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/default.aspx

K is for...Kohls*: http://www.kohls.com/

L is for...Lulu's*: http://www.lulus.com/
and L is for...Love Culture: http://www.loveculture.com/

M is for...ModCloth: http://www.modcloth.com/
and M is for...Milanoo*: http://milanoo.com/

N is for...Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/

O is for...Old Navy*: http://oldnavy.gap.com/

P is for...Papaya*: http://www.papayaclothing.com/shop/

Q is for...Que? is there really a clothing store to fit this list that starts with a Q?

R is for...Really can't think of anything that starts with an "R" and I'm not putting "Rue 21" on the list because they won't let you make purchases online

S is for...Styles For Less: http://www.stylesforless.com/

T is for...Target*: http://www.target.com/
and T is for...The 15 Dollar Store: http://15dollarstore.com/s/home/7505077406656107

U is for...Urban Outfitters: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/index.jsp

V is for...Victoria's Secret*: http://www.victoriassecret.com/
and V is for...Venus: http://www.venus.com/

W is for...Wet Seal*: http://wetseal.com/home.jsp

X is for...Xpress as in Moda Xpress: http://www.modaxpressonline.com/index.asp

Y is for...Yes Style: http://www.yesstyle.com/en/home.html

Z is for...Zumiez: http://www.zumiez.com/

♥ Happy Shopping fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

I Baked It!

2010-12-26T10:41:00.001-07:00

Here are some yummy treats I made for the holidays:

♥ Happy Baking fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

I make great Christmas gifts

2010-12-25T01:13:00.002-07:00

Austin opening the DOMO chair I made him

and

a view of the 2 basketball chandeliers I made too:

DOMO-KUN Chair

He once brought home a large stuffed domo that took up over half the couch - needless to say we had to get rid of it, so I made him a more practical chair that he can use for gaming.

Cupcake Love Lunch Sack

Perfect for my future teacher friend, I filled it with cute animal snack and sandwich containers that I got at Dollar Tree in the baby section.

Shoe Platter

With a 3D green shoe with a white lightning bolt, this gift is a twist on the traditional painted plate that you can make at As You Wish

Heart Oven Mitts

With tons of heart accessories for my kitchen mitts, oven mitts were the one thing I could not find. So my cousin sent me these black oven mitts and cut out silver hearts and I used dry-cleanable fabric glue to attach them. You could also sew them on with a basic needle and thread.

Man Cave Themed Bowls

Pass the chips in these great man-cave themed bowls. I made a football, basketball, and tools bowl using contact cement to attach the tools (nuts, bolts, screws, drill bits, wrenches, etc.) and sports scrapbooking brads to the bowls.

Basketball Chandeliers

Sometimes you just don't finish every gift in time for Christmas. Here are two basketball chandeliers that I am still working on that took a few months to create. Each stick was spray painted either orange or black (many cans required) and the fish beads were attached using quick drying epoxy.

♥ Happy Unwrapping fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

THE Ikea Sale

2010-12-24T09:10:00.001-07:00

Get Happy fellow crafters! Hopefully you get some Ikea gift cards for Christmas:

♥ Happy Sale Shopping fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

For the Love of Shiny Things

2010-12-20T08:44:00.004-07:00

Shiny-ness isn't just for jewelry anymore. This seasons fashion DO is to add some bling and banish the bland. Rhinestones are popping up everywhere from jeans like the Grace in LA line to cardigans and tanks at H+M.

This trend isn't just for clothes either. Also look for great accessories like belts, scarves, hats, and head bands to add some sparkle to an outfit. I waited in line on Black Friday to get sparkly silver pumps! They look great with a pair of jeans and they add that extra umph to my night wear. I loved them so much I also ordered them online in black.

This trend surpasses fashion and shows up in Home Furnishing as well. From picture frames to ottomans and vases, many accessories now have added bling. My whole office set -stapler, tape dispenser, computer mouse, and calculator- is adorned with rhinestones.

I also got a fabulous duvet cover with rhinestones on it from Z Gallerie. I love it - despite the fact that it definitely isn't the most practical thing I own - considering many of the rhinestones fall off if my cat hasn't ripped them off herself before that.

This is my 15 year old cat Tigerlilly modeling the duvet cover for all you bloggers

And just a friendly tip: remember when creating an outfit with lots of bling to refrain from overdoing it; you don't want to blind people as you walk by.

♥ Happy Shining fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Untraditional Gift Wrap

2010-12-19T23:17:00.005-07:00

I went to the mall the other day and there were two things I noticed:

There are way too many people wearing skinny jeans
People are carrying around an awful lot of bags

These bags got me thinking, what if there was a better method of wrapping to help the environment than gift wrap or a plastic gift bag?

This year, when you are wrapping your holiday gifts, consider using some of these eco-friendly options and giving them a wrap that can be used again instead of being thrown straight into the trash:

Basket
Decorative bucket - try the dollar spot at Target
Flower pot - you can even paint it and decorate it yourself
A tumbler (stuffed with candy and/or a gift card) - They even sell tumblers at the dollar store that are customizable so you can print out your favorite picture and stick it in the mug for a custom-look
A lunchbox or custom lunch bag - you can get plain black or white lunch bags at Hobby Lobby and pick out your favorite patches, attach them using fabric glue, and make something like the "Cupcake Love" lunch bag I made for my teacher friend this year for Christmas:
Something you painted at a pottery painting store:
Re-usable fabric/plastic tote bags - stuffed with tissue paper this bags are given a whole new life
Wooden box you can decorate with paint, stickers, glitter, fabric, pictures (make a collage), rhinestones, etc.

There are plenty of ideas you can come up with to make the perfect untraditional gift wrap for the one you love.
♥ Happy Wrapping fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

__D3 - Song of the Day

2010-12-19T22:17:00.001-07:00

Ever hear a great song on the radio and then you can't figure out who sings it? That was me until I found the music video for our new "Song of the Day":

Far East Movement- Rocketeer

♥ Happy Listening fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

__D2 - Song of the Day

2010-12-17T12:43:00.004-07:00

One Republic - Secrets

I love this song so much that I asked my boyfriends cousin - Shawn Smith - to make us an engagement video to this song when my boyfriend of 7 years finally pops the question.

Check out Shawn's production website Spaz Productions: http://spaz.covenantunderground.com/

♥ Happy Listening fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Not Your Average Pet Furniture

2010-12-16T19:55:00.002-07:00

Who says your pet furniture has to look like pet furniture?

"PRETTY KITTY POTTIES"

Ditch the old litter box cover and stick that littler box pan in on of these "Pretty Kitty Potties". No one will be able to know where the litter box is if you use the right scented air freshener right where these furniture pieces are.

Design 1: Ikea Hacker Project 1

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2010/09/another-pretty-kitty-potty.html

Design 2: Ikea Hacker Project 2

This is actually made from 2 LACK tables that retail for under $20.

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2010/05/pretty-kitty-potty.html

Design 3: Posh Washroom Pet Litter Hider

Seen at Home Goods for $69.99 and Amazon for $87.95

http://www.amazon.com/Washroom-Pet-House-in-Walnut/dp/B0038LWIY4

You've seen people hack Ikea furniture into their own unique creations. Why not make your own version that suits your personal style. Consider adding paw prints or another unique accent - even a custom door knob can make all the difference.

CAT CLIMBERS

Cat's love to climb so why not redefine pet stairs and turn a bookcase or a shelf into a means of your cat getting to her perching spot. Both of these designs were seen on IKEA hacker and would make a great addition to a pet-friendly home.

♥ Happy Pet Presents fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Ikea Hacker: Projects We Love (December)

2010-12-16T19:40:00.003-07:00

Cupcake Hanging Lantern Lights

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/09/have-cupcake-and-eat-it-well-light-it.html

Twig Light

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-make-mod-chandelier-for-under.html

♥ Happy Hacking fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

My Chandelier Hack

2010-12-16T12:22:00.002-07:00

Check out the awesome chandelier I made:

The materials included: The IKEA TIDIG light, various rings such as keychain and binder rings, crystal heart Christmas ornaments, gemstones, and the crystal hangings off of a candle holder at Hobby Lobby:

The Candle Holder - $23.99 at Hobby Lobby (original price)

Crystal Hangings and Heart Ornament with Keychain Rings

Hope you like it!

♥ Happy Hacking fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

__D1: Song of The Day

2010-12-16T12:09:00.005-07:00

Here's the song of the day, which is also the theme song for my lovely blog:

Timbaland - Carry Out (Featuring Justin Timberlake)

♥ Happy Listening fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

WWW of the Week!

2010-12-13T20:19:00.003-07:00

Each week I will be featuring a great website that I think you should check out. This week is.......drumroll please .......... http://www.polyvore.com/!

Take your favorite items and create fun collages like these ones my BFF Susie made (and check out her blog while you are at it, Gluttony in LA: http://susieelizabeth.blogspot.com/)

You can even enter a contest to create the best one and submit it to Rue Magazine:

http://www.ruemag.com/blog/ (WIN $100 FROM RUE AND MYDECO.COM!)

♥ Happy Polyvore-ing fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Favorite ... Funny Video Parodies

2010-12-13T17:23:00.013-07:00

Kesha/Harry Potter - We Are Who We Are/We Are Wizards
This is my ultimate favorite by far!

T.I./Asian Boys-
You Can Have Whatever You Like/Asian Boys Just Want To Eat Rice

Eminem/Bouncing Head - The Real Slim Shady/The Real Hussein

Soulja Boy/My Aunt - Pretty Boy Swag/Really Nice Aunt

Backstreet Boys/Weird Al - I Want It That Way/I Bought It on EBAY

Fergie/Hillbilly - Glamorous/Hillbilly

Sir Mix-A-Lot/Dan Smith - Baby Got Back/Baby Got Book

5o Cent/MAD TV - P.I.M.P/C.R.A.P.

♥ Happy Laughing fellow crafters.

And as always, I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well.

Love, Christin

Do You Like It Well Done? 'Cuz I ♥ Do ♥ It ♥ Well

House Renovation

Inspiration Board: Cupcake Birthday

Yelp!

A Simpsons Kind Of Birthday

RECAP

I Bake Too!

Ikea Hacker: 3rd Time's A Charm!

Basketball Table http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/01/basketball-table.html

Love Notes XOXO Chalkboard Cookbook Cabinet Organizer http://www.ikeahackers.net/2010/12/love-notes-xoxo-chalkboard-cookbook.html

To A Healthy New You BOOKS

More Fun Date Ideas

Fun Date Ideas

To A Healthy New You

Self Magazine Workout DVD Set:

Slim and Sleek Fast, Sculpt Sexy Legs Fast, Bikini Ready Fast , Firm Flat Abs Fast

Favorite Clothing Websites

I Baked It!

I make great Christmas gifts

THE Ikea Sale

For the Love of Shiny Things

Untraditional Gift Wrap

__D3 - Song of the Day

__D2 - Song of the Day

Not Your Average Pet Furniture

Ikea Hacker: Projects We Love (December)

My Chandelier Hack

__D1: Song of The Day

WWW of the Week!

Favorite ... Funny Video Parodies

Basketball Table
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/01/basketball-table.html