I am Miss Kay =]

Upcycled cigar box as a gift for my husband

2013-01-28T22:22:00.001-05:00

For our second anniversary I decided to make something personal for Mr. Winter. We had pictures taken for our anniversary present to each other and I loved the way our shadow looked against this wall so I decided to incorporate fairies (which we love) and an old cigar box with our shadow!

I drew our shadows, the wings, hearts, and our name on top (painstakingly) with pencil before I painted it with Acrylic paint.

I was so pleased with the final product and he loved it!

Beauty Wonders!

2011-05-08T12:50:00.000-04:00

Hmmm, does the no heat sock bun theory really work?
I came across this video on YouTube today about curling your hair without heat! This method is also supposed to keep the curls all day. We will see!

One of the key things she talks about is how she uses a travel size spray bottle (available at your local drug store) with water only inside. I have personally taken this a step farther before I ever saw this video, and i am going to be trying my home-made leave in conditioner instead.

To DIY your own leave in conditioner, take an old spray bottle, wash it out thoroughly, and add your mixture. My mixture consisted of 1/4 my favorite conditioner, 3/4 water. And shake shake shake.
I have been using this leave in conditioner method for about three months now. So far I have not noticed any negative side effects.

...As far as the sock bun goes, this is my hair in the bun...

...This is my hair the next morning...

I feel like if my hair were longer, and had less layers it would have come out better. Overall though, I am pleased with it. Give it a try sometime.

DIY Recycled Plastic Bottle Ring

2011-05-06T01:52:00.000-04:00

This project is super simple. You don't have to make your ring as big as mine. The cool thing about this ring is that you can totally customize it!

Supplies Needed

A few empty plastic bottles.
scissors
needle
push pin
thread/ hemp/ wire/ etc.
super glue/ clear fingernail polish

I had my husband cut into a couple bottles for me. Please use caution if attempting this on your own.

1.The most essential piece of this project is finding a bottle that you can put your finger in. You will be using the neck of the bottle as the base of the ring.

2. Cut a slit in the bottle neck, to make it easier to slide off and on.

3. Cut out multiple shapes, and make sure they are different shapes. I used a flower theme with this ring.

4.Use a push pin, to make a small hole in each cut out piece. Directly in the center.

5.Use the needle and thread (or other desired materials) to string the pieces together. When you get to the end use a bead or tiny piece of plastic and go back through the pieces again. Pull the thread tight, and knot it.

6. Tie another knot around the "ring". Cut off the excess thread, and secure the knot to the "ring" with super glue or clear finger nail polish.

Like I said before. You can turn this into any kind of ring you like! Be creative and share your fabulous creations here with me!

DIY Recycled Denim House Shoes!

2011-05-06T01:35:00.000-04:00

This is my first attempt at Recycled Denim House Shoes! =] I know they look pieced together... but they are! Below I will list the supplies, and do my best to show you how I made these. Bare with me I do not have a sewing machine, or a thimble. If you have one of the two of those please use them! Be careful though (if using a sewing machine) in the places where the denim is tripled or more in layers, it will break your needle.

Supplies Needed:

Old Denim Pants/ Skirt with pockets.
Scissors
Pins
Needle
Thread
Cardboard
Stuffing

1. Cut out both pockets. Trace your foot (about an inch bigger than is actually needed) on one of the legs. Cut out four pieces just like that one. Then cut at the waist band, two pieces that are about seven inches each.

2. Stitch the top corners of one pocket to the sides of the waistband that you have cut out. (I pinned it around my ankle for a custom fit before I took the thread to it)

3. Pin one of the four foot sized pieces to the bottom of the pocket and waist band piece.

4. Carefully stitch around the pins, making sure to pull them out as you go to avoid sticking yourself.

5. Take one of the other foot shaped pieces and pin it to the stitching you just did only half way around though, until you reach the waist band piece. Yes on top of the pocket. When you get all of the pins in place stitch around those pins, also remembering to remove the pins as you go. When you are finished with that pull the piece of denim that is now over the front around to the back so it is now under the shoe, or on the bottom.

6.Once you have everything lined up and turned around properly. Trace your foot on a piece of cardboard. Cut it out and insert it into the opening you have left on the heel of the shoe.

7.Stuff to your hearts desire, and stitch up the hole that you have left.

8.Repeat steps one through seven for the second shoe.

And Finito! You now are the proud owner of a pair of DIY Recycled Denim House Shoes.

To make this a little easier might I suggest not adding the waist band pieces, you would follow all the steps the same, you would just end up with a slipper look, rather than a moccasin look. That is the way my husband wants me to make his. (And out of regular blue denim!)

Phew! Hope you have gained some inspiration from this project!

Quick Way to Unify Your Space...

2011-05-01T20:04:00.000-04:00

If you have an area with alot of mix-match picture frames and have been wanting to buy new ones so they all match... Check this out!

They make spray paint now for anything... yes, even fabric. Of course with this project you can use the dollar store stuff.

Take all of the guts out of the frame (glass, back, photo, filling, etc)
Lay out an old sheet, cut a trash bag in half, or use newspaper, to keep your yard from showing off your DIY skills!
Spray all of the frames the same color, or like the picture above try out a color combo!
Let dry
Fill with photos* and Love the new look! =]

*A cool way to unify your matting! Old news paper, or unused sheet music works great!

Fun weekend Project, great Mother's Day craft idea

2011-04-29T18:07:00.000-04:00

Trust me... There is NO need to spend anywhere from ten to a hundred dollars on a three ounce container of body scrub. Yes it is a luxury, and yes they make your skin oh so soft. When I was in high-school, my mother and a friend of her's bought all of the ingredients, got together to make this incredible stuff, and of course, I have been making it ever since. Here are some REALLY simple recipes. They are not my own, however my favorite has to be the Coffee Body Scrub. The only advice or warning label I would add to this: Make sure you rinse all of the olive oil (if that is what you use) out of the shower before the next unsuspecting victim falls in the shower after you. True story.

Coffee Body Scrub

Coffee tightens and rejuvenates skin, while raw sugar exfoliates, and olive oil seals in moisturize.

Ingredients

2 cups of coarse ground coffee
1/2 cup raw sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Take a warm bath or hot shower to open your pores and hydrate your skin. Rub the coffee mixture into your skin in large circles with even, firm pressure. Shower to rinse, pat dry, and follow with unscented body lotion or light vegetable oil.

Almond-Oatmeal Scrub

Almond meal and oatmeal slough off dead skin cells, as sage tones. Whole-milk yogurt reinforces with the oil naturally released from the almonds during scrubbing to replenish the skin's natural moisture.

Ingredients

2/3 cup coarse ground almonds
1/3 cup dry fine oatmeal
½ tsp dried sage
plain full-fat yogurt as needed

Instructions

Add almonds, oatmeal, and sage to food processor or blender and grind on pulse until they reach the consistency of course meal. Keep covered and cool in an airtight container until ready for use. Upon each use, take medium-sized handful (around 1/4 cup) of the mixture and combine with enough yogurt to form a thick paste. Rub gently over skin with a washcloth or loofah sponge and rinse with cool water. Follow with gentle moisturizer.

Lemon Salt Glow

Sea salts bring a healthy glow to dull, dry skin,.which may then benefit as much from the antioxidant properties of lemon as the rich nutrition of almond oil.

Ingredients

½ cup sea salt
½ cup sweet almond oil
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest

Instructions

Combine all ingredients, taking extra care not to let any water touch the ingredients, as it will dissolve the salts. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Before showering, swirl ingredients together with fingertips to reintegrate, then apply to body in firm scrubbing motion with hand or soft washcloth. Step into the shower and let power of the water stream rinse off the mixture. (Particularly effective as an exfoliant and moisturizer for a smooth, nick-free shave.)

Tropical Sugar Scrub

Sugar granules gently remove dead skin cells, which are in turn nourished by the combined power of coconut, mango, and orange.

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup fresh mango puree
1 cup coconut oil

Instructions

Mix sugar into coconut oil until evenly distributed before stirring in lemon juice and mango puree. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to use, scoop out a generous amount of sugar scrub and rub with open palms into skin. Rinse well.

Link to Recipe Site =]

Coupon Crazy!

2011-04-29T17:47:00.000-04:00

This is a daunting task... but SO worth it. I am by no means an extreme coupon master, but I will take something, if I can find it for free. This coupon endeavor will take motivation, and it helps if you have a coupon clipping buddy! There are a plethora of websites with valuable information, and most of them have tutorials. There is even a show on TLC called "Extreme Couponning" My friend Tiffany got me into it about a year ago. Just to give you an idea...

I am (like I said) not a crazy coupon lady. But I have snipped a couple of discounts! I have not done any couponing in about six months and after giving full size bottles of name brand body wash, hair care, makeup, and other miscellaneous goods to family and friends for Christmas this year, we just used our last bottle of shampoo. I have not paid more than fifty cents for shampoo in almost a year! =] I still have seven or eight tubes of deodorant, and toothpaste.

The first thing I would tell you to do is check out some of these websites!
- SouthernSavers.com
-weusecoupons.com
-thekrazycouponlady.com

Until next time happy couponing, and good luck! If you need tips or advice send me an e-mail, I will gladly help you if I can.

Somebody has been thirsty!

2011-04-29T17:31:00.000-04:00

I am not saying we should all have a huge elephant yard sculpture made out of plastic recyclable bottles... I am saying though that there are ways to avoid putting them into the trash!
Millions and millions of one time usage products go into our landfills everyday. Again, I am not asking you to re-do your whole lifestyle and keep every plastic bottle, but re-think throwing them away!

Here someone has taken an empty water bottle, and snipped some fresh flowers to display in their home. Quick, Easy, Simple!

Look at this!!

You should never have to buy another food organization product again! Just make sure you use dried goods, and thoroughly clean the bottles, with soap and warm water before storing anything in them.

Ah ha! Cut two simple ovals, poke a hole through the top add some string and you have a plastic bag organizer. Just keep filling them up and make as many as you need to tuck away, or give away! (Not recommended as a birthday gift!!)

The last Idea I have for you today is this here on the right!

Any plastic bottle + Discarded cork = great bathroom storage!

Hemp Happy! =]

2011-04-26T17:26:00.000-04:00

I started making hemp jewelry when I was thirteen. My first necklace took me over four hours, and I wore it everyday for years. These days I can whip out a necklace, bracelet, anklet, and matching earrings in less than two hours. I find it very relaxing to work with hemp and when I am stressed I like to see how creative I can get! A.K.A: Hemp-Therapy!! =]

Since then I have made numerous hemp pieces. Some I have worn, some I sold, and some I gave as gifts. I have also used hemp in many craft projects, when I needed something sturdy. If I could figure out how to manipulate hemp into other types of textile you best believe I would!

When you open your mind up to all the things hemp can do for us it is amazing. They can manipulate hemp in so many different ways that we could literally stop cutting down trees for paper, and it lasts so long. As you see some of the pictures I have added to this blog show the wide variety of things that hemp can be made useful for.

When using hemp to make fabric, it is one of the softest things you will ever feel. Hemp can also be dyed or stained, and painted (like canvas) into almost any color imaginable.

Below is an image depicting a wide variety of things that Hemp can be made useful for. Think about how quickly cannibus grows, how it will grow in almost any climate, and then think about how many forests we are cutting down for use on some of the same things... idk something to think about!

Photo Credits:

http://www.hempnecklacestore.com/5970-749-large/fancy-black-rainbow-hemp-bracelet.jpg

http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2011/02/03/sir-tom-hand-printed-hemp-clutch-2_lSVKx_24429.jpg

http://hempstersstitch.com/shop/images/hemp%20twine%20misc.jpg

http://www.dhreck.com/images/hemp-mote/hemp-mote-01.jpg

http://sp.life123.com/bm.pix/hemp-bracelet.s600x600.jpg

http://www.sneakerfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/air-jordan-fusion-3-ajf-3-hemp-reed-white-dark-oak-medium-brown.jpg

http://www.hemphousemaui.com/shop/avactis-images/hemp-sandals.jpg

Bamboo Love!

2011-04-25T20:44:00.000-04:00

I love Bamboo! One of my favorite things about my apartment is the bamboo forest behind it. When a piece breaks off, I look for a unique and cool way to use it. It really is as strong as they say it is, and you can do almost anything with it.
The pictures I am posting today are all pictures that I got off of the internet for inspiration! I can't wait to utilize the bamboo that I have dried out! I will definitely add any project I complete to the My DIY tab as soon as I get one done. I have already used a peice of bamboo as a curtain rod, and built a trellis for my sweet peas that I have been growing. I think the next thing I am going to attempt is the bed! I am not good enough yet to make one like shown in the pics below, but it will definitely be special and look great! I am so excited to be able to begin that project. Its going to take a lot of measuring and probably will in tel some cuts on my fingers, but it will surely be worth it!
The archway, and the birdhouse would be fun projects for a rainy day, not a must do project though, and the video below shows you the view from our bedroom window at seven a.m. I am not sure if you can hear it, but the birds are going crazy with the sun coming up and it almost sounds like a rain forest! SO soothing! Yea I guess you can say bamboo makes this girl happy! =]

p.s. I almost forgot this project that my awesome husband helped me out with below. It is a wreath made out of bamboo and hemp with glass beads spelling out our last name! Like I said I am not great at working with bamboo yet, but it makes me happy! =]

The touch, the feel, of Fabric

2011-04-24T20:31:00.000-04:00

As a child, anytime I would go to my great-grandmother's home, I would dig through her fabric cabinet. All of the remnants that everyone thought she should throw away were like hidden treasures to me. Like these pictures, I want my home to be a place where I am surrounded by soft, colorful, exoticly patterned fabrics.

I have a body scarf that my mother brought home from aruba hanging at the end of my bed. I love waking up to those colors, and catching a glimpse of it every time I walk through the house. Nate Berkus says we should live beautifully in our own homes, and that my friends is what I intend to do.

My husband and I have our goals set on travel. I can't wait to travel to all of the earths nooks and crannies, and mail the linens I find home to await my arrival. I like finding vintage scarfs at Goodwill and hope to have enough one day to furnish my couch, cuddler, and bed with pillows made of the scarfs. I have always thought when decorating you need to stick to a couple key colors... not anymore! I have so many different patterns and colors all over my tiny apartment, and I love it!

Another thing I like about fabrics are the stories they can tell. I have a bag, that my great-grandmother and I made out of some of her remnants, and I will NEVER get rid of it. I love how we made the bag specifically to fit my bible! HAHA, now I use it to help keep my home organized beautifully! In my next post I hope to show you how being organized can be a beautiful process. Stay tuned, and wrap yourself in fabric!

Home Made Pizza

2011-04-22T17:59:00.000-04:00

FRIDAY NIGHT!- Since my husband works a full time job, and were both full time students, Friday nights are looked forward to all week!

A couple weeks ago (like always) he wanted little ceasars pizza, "it's quick and cheap" he says... I am sick of eating greasy pizza, with pepperoni's that you can see through... "wait" I said... "what if I make a pizza?" At first he was not thrilled with the idea, and then he said "well if you mess it up, will you go get little ceasers?"

I looked up a pizza dough recipe, and a pizza sauce recipe. Figured out that I had most of the ingrediants and the ones I didin't have were very inexpensive. After a quick trip to the store (which was really a quick trip because we live in town and have three grocerie stores in a five mile radius) I came home and in forty minutes had a grease free, thick peperonied home made pizza. I have made pizza using the same recipie at least fifteen times since. It is definitly a favorite around here, and definitly a Friday must!

This Friday we are entertaining some of our best friends in our tiny apartment. I really think a life of home made goodness and great friends is one to be lived! Hope you have a great Friday! If you would like my recipe send me an e-mail, I will gladly share. The timer just went off, that means the pizza is ready... and Friday night has begun! =]

Living the Life

2011-04-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

           Turning twenty one marked a new chapter in my life. I started realizing what life should really be about. In the last year I have had to learn (and re-learn) many things about life. As my twenty second birthday nears, I look back and for the first time in my life I can see measurable growth in myself. My husband and I are also coming up on our one year anniversary and though we may not have much, I feel like we are living the life.
            What is "the life", you may ask? One of faith, love, hope, and satisfaction. I am not the religious type, nor do I condone anyone for their beliefs. I find, if you are connected to a higher being, or want to be, your relationship with that being is that of your own, and no one else can determine what that relationship is about. Faith is a big word, and in the last year I have not only found a solid faith in spiritual way, but I have found a faith in myself.
            Love is another big word. Before you can experience true love with someone else, you must first love yourself. I am not saying that I don't have insecurities or self-esteem problems from time to time, but I do love the person I have become. Looking back on my past I can see how every little experience I have been through and any flaw that I have acquired, have brought me to this place. A place in life where I am comfortable with who I am. With the help of my husband I have also learned how to love others. When I quit looking for love, love found me. With that love came trust, strength, and honor. When you put those qualities into a relationship, something beautiful is sure to come of it. There is no one else (even after three years) that I would rather spend my time with, he is truly my best friend. We have each others backs, even when the journey seems to harsh, we support and encourage each other along the way. Neither one of us grew up around successful marriages, and we knew if we were going to make it we had to learn the ropes on our own. We are still on our journey and know that one of the only constants in life is change. We are ready for change and embrace it with open arms. I love love. <3
            Hope; 1. (sometimes plural) a feeling of desire for something and confidence in the possibility of its fulfillment. As a child, I hoped for many childish things. As an adult (and a realist) I hope for success, and dream of possibilities. My husband and I both grew up in the land of misfit toys. We have both been given chances, some taken, some failed and decided that this time it was up to us, as a team and individually to take those chances and make a difference with them. We are both students at an online college, and talk often of our hopes and dreams together. Hope is a survival mechanism, I think, and if you utilize hope it will carry you through to your dreams.
   I never felt satisfied before. I always sought out satisfaction in the wrong places, and now know if you can't be satisfied with the basic essentials of life, you will never be satisfied with a life full of luxuries. As a teenager I thought satisfaction would be attained if I was the perfect person, had the perfect job, and was able to live a life of lavish luxuries. As an adult, I find satisfaction in the life I currently live (in the present moment), and I realize that you don't need any of those "things" to find satisfaction. It is also true that satisfaction can be obtained at any age, but I recommend that you find it soon. You only have one life to live!
           Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain!