little panda crafts

Look who's back with a new blog

2017-07-14T21:37:00.001-04:00

www.foldoverrice.blogspot.com

Hello, everyone. I'm back!

It's been a year (more than a year, actually). My blogging break was unannounced, not exactly surprising, and completely necessary. That's right. I'm sorry it's been so long, and I've missed all of you so much, but the break was really good for me.

I hadn't felt like blogging. It had started feeling like a chore. Not to mention that I had a lot going on with studies, swimming, volunteer work, and writing. Oh, and the messiness of keeping up with American politics. That's another story.

I felt like all I really blogged about was how I felt overwhelmed, busy, indecisive, etc. I want my blog to be one of positivity, and I wasn't able to pursue that at the time.

I'm sorry to any of you who felt like you were left hanging. I promised myself I would return again sometime--when I wasn't as busy, when I felt like blogging wasn't a chore and was instead something I was looking forward to doing.

I was positive I would return, though. In fact, I made an instagram where I just uploaded photos every day. No pressure to follow others or be followed. It was just a way for me to document the art I found the time to do, as I couldn't through blogging anymore.

I want to say thank you to those of you who sent me messages or emails to just check in with how I was doing. When there was a particular stressful day or I felt like I did have time but wasn't ready to blog, your concern was just so sweet. I hope that I replied to everyone's inquiries!

I love commenting on blogs, but since I was busy I instead resorted to scrolling through my feed and reading as many posts as I could every now and then. I didn't forget about any of my blogging friends, who have changed and grown in their own ways. So even though I haven't commented lately, just know that I've been trying my best to read posts. I've had a bit more downtime this summer, so I will catch up on commenting!

Anyway, it seems my instincts were right. I made a new blog. Like, last month. It's very minimal right now, and literally has one post--of my process photos. I was finding the time to sit down and type this up and introduce you to it. Which ended up taking me a month, because of school and finishing up finals.

So, Fold Over Rice. I'm excited. I've been able to write more, study more, and cherish little moments in life. I paint when I can and am looking for time to sew. Little Panda Crafts was a nice and long run, full of fun and memories, but I think it's time to move on to something else. Hopefully, you will too.

Thanks for all of your support and encouragement on this blog. You've been with me since the very beginning, and you have no idea how meaningful that is to me. Let's keep in touch. <3

Tips on keeping a notebook

2016-04-09T15:15:00.001-04:00

Ah, back again is the notoriously infrequent blogger. I was in the mood for a post, and decided to give a few tips on keeping a notebook.

As most of you know, I'm a writer. Actually, that sounds pretty glorified considering I haven't published anything (yet!). I also haven't posted any poetry or prose on this blog before, as I'm shy when it comes to my own writing. I don't find anything worthy enough at the moment to share with everyone. But, I have been using notebooks to store my thoughts from the very beginning.

So, let's get down to it.

PICK SOMETHING YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO WRITE IN.

Right. So notebooks with pretty covers are great, but if the line spacing is too wide or too narrow, you're going to have some trouble. Find what you're comfortable with--lined, grid, or blank paper, and use it. Don't sacrifice actual writing for aesthetic.

I purchased a black Midori Traveler's Notebook early February, and have been using it ever since. You can get it much cheaper on other sites--I received mine for a fraction of the cost from Blinq--because in essence, it's a flap of leather with a few elastic bands. But I like how I can travel with it and it becomes marked up with scratches, a lasting memory of places I have gone. I also appreciated the concept of adding and removing inner notebooks once they are completed. I know that some people can get intimidated by a large blank book, so having smaller inserts makes writing easier. I will be using this leather cover for years, I'm sure. My Midori is mainly for journal entries--thoughts throughout the day. I use mainly composition notebooks for serious novels.

So, if you are purchasing an expensive notebook, make sure it's what you really want. I suggest using a regular notebook and getting into the habit of writing until you're sure you want something more luxurious. You don't want to buy something to later chuck away because you haven't been using it (cough cough past self).

HAVE IT WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES.

You want to write whenever you have something to write. The reason I prefer physical writing over typing is because I can access a notebook anytime. It' also feels much more real. I may not have a Backspace, but it's nice to look back to scrawled writing, crossed out errors, etc.

Therefore, your notebook needs to be available. Make sure it's a suitable size to fit into your backpack or purse. I always remember to grab my notebook along with my pocketbook and a novel when I leave the house because I always have and this dude happened to do the same.

ALSO, HAVE A PREFERABLE WRITING UTENSIL AT ALL TIMES.

Pretty self-explanatory. If you're gonna write, have something to write with.

Make sure it's something you want to write with, as well. I hate pencils because the scratchy nose and the fact that they become blunt is irritating to me. I use them when I have to, such as on math exams and whatnot, but when writing in other classes I always use pen. I prefer gel pens because I like how smoothly the ink glides over paper.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT NEATNESS.

If you're always focusing on whether or not your handwriting is neat, then you won't spend so much time on your own thoughts. Pretty is nice, but life isn't always pretty. Sometimes you do your best in cursive. Sometimes illegibility takes over.

MAKE A GOAL OF DOING IT EVERY DAY.

If you want to develop the habit of writing, then you need to write daily. Some people allot a certain time frame for writing each day, but I'm unable to do that. So I write every day, whenever I have the time. Some days it's only a little, other days it's a lot. What matters is the fact that you do it.

---

I will be doing a post in the future on why you should write...why it's a good skill to have and what it can do for you.
I hope this post gets you thinking about wanting to keep a notebook, at least! And if you already do, I would love to hear about it.
Also~ can't wait to catch up on blog reading!

what's on my desk and my mind

2016-01-28T17:18:00.002-05:00

Hello, everyone! There's so much to say, considering this is my first post in months, but I want to start off with what's been on my desk...for the past week. Because midterms ended last week, and I finally decided to clear my desk of all the spare mountains of papers. (Problems of being a writer..and dealing with a hell load of assignments)

I stitched booklets on New Year's Eve as I was too busy to leisurely shop for the best planner to use, and I needed something quick and non-bulky to carry in my bag and write in when needed. This notebook size is smaller than a5, and feels fine to write in.

This was a first page I did..I was inspired by a sketch on Deviantart and decided to freehand a similar one. There's a polar bear in the drawing, which isn't visible in this photo.

Also..I'm taking a Japanese course and we're given worksheets that Japanese elementary school kid would get. They're really cute, but there are so many characters to memorize and there's already so much to do in my schedule.

Ah, every year I've thought about keeping a memory jar, but I either forget or don't have time to follow through with it. I grabbed a mason jar and decorated it a bit on New Year's Eve, including one of my favorite quotes. I've kept up with finding things that make me happy--or just memorable days, scrawling it down on a piece of index card, and sealing it with washi. I can't wait to see the jar fill up over the 2016 year, and to then open each one on December 31th this year.

Also, if you didn't notice the composition notebook in the photo, I'm pointing it out now. That was my book for NaNoWrimo. I decided to follow through with it for November, but you can understand how busy November was..and thus, I was devastated when I didn't finish writing my novel by then. So, on New Year's, I was frantically trying to finish it. I didn't, and I had major hand cramping. But, I wanted to finish it by January 18th, and I did.

Guys, this is a major accomplishment for me. You may know how much I love to write, but I had never finished writing a full novel. Now I have, and maybe it's crap strewn together without chapters, but it kept going and that's what NaNoWrimo is, sleepless nights with coffee and cramping hands and a book you just don't give up on because you can't. Ah, bliss.

And...I found a few Magnificat books that my mom had. Let me tell you, these books are amazing. There's something about those super-thin fluttery pages and those words, words of God and people inspired by God and this overwhelming sense of inspiration, and books like these calm my anxious mind and heart. I love, love this excerpt from one of Ann Voskamp's books. Her writing is breathless, and I haven't read One Thousand Gifts, but I'm planning on doing so. I don't want that read to be something rushed, I want it to be something I can slowly enjoy. Writing like hers deserves that.

Really, when I cleared my desk and felt like trying to cutely organize my things, even I was surprised. I haven't been into "cute" things for the longest time. Only because there's no time to make stuff anymore, like craft and sew, so I only snatch moments of the day to write.

Anyway, on to the reason why I haven't been posting in such a long time is because I'm indecisive about life, and I'm so stressed and exhausted. That's that in a fishbowl. I could go on, but I have a feeling all my previous posts have been about me feeling stressed and busy and so on. And I know you have your own lives and issues and you feel overwhelmed a lot, too.

But you know what? I realize that I am breathing today and I can feel myself breathing and somehow this body that will feel crippled or tired or worthless sometimes is fighting to keep me alive because it's reminding me that life is valuable and something to fight for is and I am breathing today and that's a miracle in itself.

Sometimes you just have to breathe and listen to yourself breathe.

with love

so..

2015-04-20T18:42:00.001-04:00

hello!

I know, I'm sorry. It's been a while.

It's been busy, but I've found time to craft and make stuff. I've been meaning to blog, I really have. It's just that I'm not sure whether or not I want to blog anymore. See, I wanted to make a new one, but lately I've been so super indecisive about everything, and it's super frustrating. I have a blog name picked out one day, and then the next I just don't feel it anymore. It's really frustrating, too, because I've been meaning to get this done since, like, forever.

So, I'm not too sure about that. But I'll still be around, reading up on blogs, because you guys are what makes this blogging community worthwhile. I just want to say thank you so much for the sweet comments and emails you've sent me about asking how I've been. It's really nice to come to a nice message from someone I've never met before after a long day. you all are the best <3

What have you all been up to? I went to London and Paris last week. It was pretty cool, except for the scary gypsies that got rough with a few of my classmates and my dad getting pickpocketed by three guys. (these made quite some stories for everyone back home!) And I've posted photos on my instagram, if you want to take a look.

And yes, I've been using instagram a lot more lately. Probably because it's so simple to just post a photo, ha ha.

Still suffering from jet lag, I'm feeling so tired while writing this lol. I think I'll take another nap, but I couldn't before typing up this post, to let you know how I've been. In a little while I'll probably read through my blog feed, would love to see what you all have been posting lately! :)

xoxo
MJ

weekend, weekend!

2015-02-27T20:23:00.002-05:00

hello hello!

i am so so happy + ready for the weekend! it's been a busy week, but i try my best to get some fun "me" time--either working in my planner, staging photos, etc.--all things that make me happy.

i'm hoping for a few hours tomorrow to kick my feet up and scroll through blogland...catch up on blog post reading!

love love love! MJ

happy Valentine's day! xo

2015-02-14T18:51:00.003-05:00

happy Valentine's day to you all! I hope it had found you happy and healthy!

I just want to let you know I love and appreciate you readers. you don't know how amazing it is to me to have people I've never met in real life care about my posts. so thank you! ♡♡

have a lovely rest of your day!

love love love! MJ

why hello!

2015-02-04T18:39:00.002-05:00

Hope you all haven't forgotten me yet? Ha ha, I wanted to write a quick post to let you know how I was doing.

These few weeks have been busy, busy, busy. I went to a science invitational, did lots of shoveling, and studied. I have a couple math tests coming up, both for competitions, and I've been trying to get to swim practice regularly, when I'm not studying.

I realized that I've done a lot of procrastination last year. This year, it's going to stop. I ended up getting an 88 as my engineering average, which left me really sad and disappointed. I realized I have to buckle up on studying--I need to do more practice problems, read more through chapters, and go back to having a perfect score like last year. So that means that I haven't really been doing any crafting lately--the most has probably been using gel pens in my planner!

Once I have more time, I'll get started on the blog header and pages, etc. I was wondering if you have any ideas for the new blog name? I thought Oh Hello Panda was nice, but now I'm not so sure. I want to have a blog name that I will stick with for quite a while! If you have any ideas, please let me know! My structure for the name would be that it has to be 3 words, and have one (or more!) of these keywords in it: lovely, oh, hello, so, pretty, moon, happy, the, how If you have any ideas, I would be really happy for you to let me know--either comment them below, or shoot me an email at littlepandacrafts@gmail.com. I would really appreciate it! I can't think of anything at the moment, so I definitely need your help!

Also, does anyone have any idea how to customize a "Pages" gadget and put it on top of the header? If you know of any post, please let me know!

I hope that in about a month or two I can get back to regularly posting. I've had little breaks on instagram or social media every now and then, and I will be doing the same with blogs for the next few days. So sorry if I've been neglecting yours lately!

Things get overwhelming at times, but I'm trying my best to be cheerful! I hope that no matter what challenges you face today or this week you do the same! Enjoy the rest of your week, and thank you for reading through these ramblings! xx

love love love! MJ

making a new blog?

2015-01-22T18:25:00.002-05:00

Hello!

I hope your week has been going well. I still have two exams to make up, as well as science + math competitions and it's been pretty busy with studies and swimming, and I've honestly been living off of coffee lately, but I decided to take a little bit of time out to write this post.

it's something that has been bothering me for a little while--this blog name, At first, I really liked Little Panda Crafts but I guess now I've grown out of it. Looking at it now kind of makes me unhappy, I guess.

So, I've decided to make a new blog--titled Oh Hello Panda.

I've decided to make a brand new blog instead of just changing this blog's name and address because I wanted a fresh start, with photography, etc.

I also didn't want to make the bloggers I did collaborations with have to change the link addresses on any of their posts.

Besides, I thought leaving this blog up so that you could still see the tutorials and some of my earlier posts would be nice.

All I need to do is make and design the blog (when I find the time!) and just change my name or username on instagram, google + and pinterest.

However, I will be making a new Bloglovin and Google Feedburner since after all, it's another blog! So, I will be losing my followers from there...a little disappointing, but I'm sure I can make up for it somehow! :)

So, what do you think? This isn't entirely set in stone yet, but let me know how you feel. Of course, I will have to get the word out about the new blog, and it will take a little while to make because I have to wait for things to let up a bit.

So, do you like Oh Hello Panda? Any suggestions for well, anything?

Also, I am so sorry that these posts have just been, well, updates. Hopefully things will work out and should be back to normal by February... :(

love love love! MJ

looking in

2015-01-15T16:33:00.001-05:00

week one is almost over. between studying, half days, swim practice, and looking at some of my favorite Bible verses, it's been fine. i guess i was overstressing over some of the exams..oops. :)

i will be commenting on blogs probably before the end of next week. till then xx

love love love! MJ

today / / felt cactus!

2015-01-11T14:37:00.002-05:00

Hello!

I toned down after studying with a little cactus plant to sew.

You all know that I'm incapable of caring for plants, right? (ahem--scared of bugs, forgetting to water or overwatering). So felt ones seem like a fun and easy solution.

Are any of you interested in a tutorial? I didn't take photos because I wasn't sure it would turn out right, but I'm satisfied with the outcome, so don't be alarmed if you see any more popping up on the blog..or even a family. (That's right, you can have your family of plants, I'll have my family of felt. There!)

The bad thing this week are midterms--and another junior varsity math competition--, the good thing is that it's all half days (thank God) and I get to eat lots of donuts. ;)

I'm seriously sorry if I haven't stopped by your blog in a while. When I'm usually busy, I click on the topmost four that show up in my Bloglovin email and I comment on those. Oh, and as a breather from studying I've been fooling around with the design on this blog. Like, I still need to find a way to get the "Pages" links to go on top of my header. :)

I've already written my weekly goals in my planner, so I'd say I'm pretty prepared for this week!

Have a lovely rest of your Sunday! xx

love love love! MJ

guest interview and tutorial / / sophie

2015-01-07T15:04:00.002-05:00

Hello!
We have a guest blogger over for an interview and tutorial--Sophie! She is so creative and I love her blog! So let's start--

1. Tell us about yourself.
Hi, I'm Sophie! I'm 14 years old, and I'm pretty new to the teen blogging community. I started iDesigns (my blog) in March 2014, and I'm so glad that I did! I'm on the varsity cheer team at my high school, and I'm currently working on costumes for my schools Spring musical. When I'm not blogging, I love reading, scrolling through Pinterest for hours on end, and of course, sewing! Oh, and I'm a bit of a neat freak... I reorganize my bedroom and sewing space practically every other week!

2. What made you start blogging?
I actually created iDesigns in 2012, but I didn't write a single post! After kind of forgetting about it, I came back to it almost two years later and really started blogging. I've always been interested in interior design, and more recently, sewing, and I couldn't think of a better way of sharing my passion than blogging! I love writing and graphic design too, so blogging seemed like a perfect thing for me! And now after exploring the teen blogging community, I'm so glad to be part of it :)

3. What are your hobbies?
Interior design is definitely my biggest hobby, and I'm almost 100% sure it's what I want to do as a career! Managing my business, Designs by Sophie, is also so much fun for me, as is sewing for fun. And I must confess, I'm a bit of a shopaholic, which make sit difficult to save up money to invest in my blog! I also love cheerleading, creative writing, and photography.

4. What products do you offer?
Designs by Sophie offers a variety of handsewn products! I would have to say the most popular is the decorative pillow... You can't go wrong with piling pillows on your bed or a comfy chair! I also sell different accessories like hair bows, scarves, and bookmarks, and a few no-sew products such as canvases. Designs by Sophie is also an interior design business, but sadly, it's pretty difficult to convince people to hire a teenager to design their space :(

5. How does being responsible for a blog, website, or online shop impact overall life and school?
Between all three of those, it's definitely difficult to to manage my time, especially now that I've started high school! I admit it, I cannot skip doing homework; if I do, I feel really guilty! So on nights where I have a lot of homework, plus cheerleading practice, the only time to blog is in the middle of the night! On weekends, I usually spend my extra time catching up on Designs by Sophie orders, so instead of going out with friends on Saturday nights, I'm wholed up in my sewing corner!

6. What do you like best about blogging?
I think my favorite part would have to be the fact that blogging helps me get out my ideas and sort of "hone my craft." That, and the amazing community I'm starting to get involved with, makes blogging my new favorite thing!

7. Any tips for current or future bloggers on being successful?
I would have to say that the biggest tip I have is to write your posts in batches. By that, I mean to take a long weekend off from school or a few vacation days and writing posts for the next month or so. I keep a journal all the time where I write down post ideas as I come up with them, so I already have the basic ideas down before it comes time to write the actual posts. Another super helpful practice is to use social media! I put this off for so long, and I'm finally starting to get into it. I'm already noticing a spike in my blog stats! And finally, get involved in the blogging community. The other bloggers I have talked with are so amazing and so inspiring!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ on to the tutorial!

Hey everyone, my name is Sophie, and I run the sewing and interior design blog, iDesigns by Sophie! I'm so excited to be here doing a guest post on Little Panda Crafts, so let's get started! The first thing I sewed by myself was a pillow cover, so that's what I'll be sharing with you today.

Here's what you'll need:

Pillow insert (for this tutorial, I used a 12 x 16 inch insert)
1/4-1/2 yard of fabric, depending on your pillow size
Thread
Sewing scissors
Rotary cutter (optional)
Thread snips (optional)
Pins
Needle

Step 1: Wash and iron the fabric. It's important to wash the fabric because it softens it a little but, and also rinses off whatever weird coating or chemicals that could be on it from the manufacturer. I would recommend running a quick zig-zag stitch around the edges before doing this so that the fabric doesn't fray.

Step 2: Cut the fabric to size, taking a 5/8 seam allowance into consideration on every side. So, since I was using a 12 inch x 16 inch pillow insert, I cut the fabric into two 13.25 inch x 17.25 inch pieces.

Step 3: Lay the fabric pieces on top of each other with the right sides touching each other in the middle. Then pin 3 of the 4 sides. I don't usually use too many pins; just use as many as you need!

Step 4: You've probably thinking, what about the 4th side? Since we have to insert the pillow into the cover, we can't sew all the way around. First, find the center (for this size, it was at 8.625 inches) and mark it with a pin or light pencil mark. Then, measure 5 or 6 inches out on either side of that mark, and mark those with two pins right next to each other. This is to remind you when to stop sewing!

Step 5: Sew around the cover using your sewing machine! Make sure not to use a basting stitch, it won't hold together well. When you're finished, use the thread snips to cut off the excess thread. If you don't have thread snips, scissors will work too!

Step 6: Snip the corners so that they will be sharper when you turn the cover it right side out. Then, go ahead and turn it right side out! Next, carefully insert the pillow form into the cover.

Step 7: The last step is to hand-stitch the open end using thread that matches your fabric. For this fabric, I chose white, so it wouldn't stand out. Tie it off and use the thread snips or scissors to cut off the excess thread.

And that's it! I did this project for the first time without any sewing experience, so you can too!

Connect with me on social media: Facebook // Pinterest // Website // Blog // Etsy

first post of the year!

2015-01-05T19:26:00.000-05:00

Hello!

So it's the first post of the year!

I can't wait to post all the DIY's I have planned for this year.

How was your New Year's? My parents didn't want to watch the ball drop, so they went to bed early, about eleven.

Myself and my older siblings + Panda Boy were awake, so we saw all the festivities in Times Square on TV like always. Next year, maybe, I'll go to New York for New Year's (whoa, a lot of new's here!) I mean, it's only a two hour drive, anyway. My dad's been in Times Square for New Year's before, and he always says that it's too cold. Oh well xx :)

I meant to post earlier, but the weekend itself was really busy with relatives over.

One of the exciting things is that a certain lovely Sophie will be featured here with an interview and tutorial! I just love doing collaborations, and this is my first of the year :)

Anyhow, I hope you are doing well. I have midterms for the next two weeks (no no no!) but I'll manage. I'll be studying much more often, but I'll try to get a tutorial or two in there for you :)

Is there anything you're expecting on ze blog for 2015? ;) Any posts you have in mind that I could try? Sewing, decorating tips, etc.? Let me know!

I hope you all have a wonderful wonderful year!

love love love! MJ

looking back on 2014

2014-12-30T20:24:00.002-05:00

/////

It's already the end of 2014...and it was a great year. Honestly, this year I got serious about blogging. I also met so many wonderful, wonderful people from the 'net that I am proud to call friends. <3

These are some of my favorite posts from this year:

1 / 2 / 3

4 / 5 / 6

I think it's safe to say that my photography is slowly getting better...? Oh well, I'm trying ;)

2014 was a year where I dared to start posting my own tutorials, and it's a lot of fun. I also took multiple breaks.

It got really overwhelming sometimes with studying, family, and friends.
To say I didn't have negative thoughts sometimes would be a lie. Some days I felt like I couldn't make it through. But in 2014, I got closer to God. I found out more about myself. And through things like blogging, I realized there is so much to live for.

I realize that I am so very grateful for readers like you. Your comments keep me going. So, thank you for that <3

I can't wait until 2015 and all the more to accomplish!! I want to be more optimistic, faithful, and make the most out of my life!

I hope you all have a blessed New Year.

love love love! MJ

organized for the New Year / / 2015

2014-12-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I've been thinking about doing this post for a while now--and it's close to the end of December, so why not?

These are just a few ways of how I'm getting organized for the New Year, hopefully you find these tips helpful. I'll be linking things at the end of this post~so if you're interested, you'll know where to find it.

I just want to warn you that this is a picture and word-heavy post--I'm sorry for that! I just wanted to put in however much I could.

I purchased a Sugar Paper planner to use for 2015. It's a month-on-two paged planner, with lots of pages for notes. I feel like it will be most helpful for me. When I was neglecting my usual planner, it was because I found it easier to type things into my Google Calendar app on my phone. I still like the feel of a monthly calendar, which is why I purchased this planner to use instead of a weekly one.

Weekly planners are fun and have way more space for decorations, but I don't always have the time for them, so a monthly is more practical for me.

This is just something that I thought would be nice for the new year. Sometimes when I'm looking at a calendar or list, I tend to feel very overwhelmed. There are so many things to get done and it really does stress me out. I think that putting little quotes in my planner is a helpful reminder that no matter how bad or busy my day feels, the Lord is by my side and will help me through everything. <3

Goals and resolutions! I'm going to be honest with you: these are really hard to keep up with. But, it's good motivation. My goals for 2015 are to drink more water. I am so dehydrated sometimes, and I rarely bring my water bottle for swim practice, which I know is so bad.

I also want to take time out to study extra subjects, like biology and chemistry. Hopefully I can gain extra knowledge and be on top of the game for upcoming classes.

Lastly, I want to find out what to base my career on. We'll probably have a post on solely this coming up soon, but I want to figure out what exactly it is that I want to do with my life. Hopefully I will have my decision before the end of 2015!

If yearly goals are a little too hard for you to keep, stick to monthly and weekly ones. I like to do those as well, I'll put a sticky note for that month or week and what I need to get done. Or, I'll use my Tasks list in Google Calendar.

These are not necessary, but decorations make your planner so much more prettier! Stickers and memos are easy to find on amazon, ebay, or etsy. There are also lots of printables available online, you just have to know where to look.

Washi tape adds a pop of color to your pages, and are also good for scheduling.

I like using thin strips of washi for my monthly pages for things that last all through the week (ex. swim practice). I'm also thinking about using washi to color code--but maybe that's a little too much organization! We'll see. :)

Sticky note flags are good for bookmarking pages, or for temporary things in your schedule that are subject to changing soon.

I just love the pastel colors!

Gel pens are also good for color-coding or catching your eye on a page, even doodling.

I know that the Hobonichi planner is a good choice for those who like to doodle a lot. But, since I wasn't sure if I would have the time to do so every day and I didn't want to waste a planner like that, I'm using little notebook for my doodles. It doesn't really fit into the "organization" theme, but I'm carrying it along with my planner to try to use each day :)

So that's it for this post! It was a lot of fun to put together, and I hope it added a bit of color to your day :)

Don't be down if you don't have many decorations, etc. for your planner--it's been taking me quite a while to collect craft supplies! Especially since things like washi can be quite expensive. I like to make a small purchase every now and then so that I can build up my collection but not feel too guilty, ha ha!
I still have a pretty small collection, but I'm hoping to get more little by little. You can get creative by DIYing your own, or drawing. I'd love to see!

If you are still deciding on a planner, using a notebook but decorating the cover is great! It's what I did for my previous planner, and it worked out really well for me. There are also lots of inserts and printable calendars online if you don't feel like doing it yourself, either.

I hope that I can be more organized for 2015!

Hope you found this post helpful! Let me know if you have any questions on where anything else was purchased!

Happy holidays!

love love love! MJ

+ sugar paper planner
+ Pilot gel pens
+ marshmallow cocoa & cookie memo printables

Merry Christmas!

2014-12-25T23:14:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas, wherever you may be. May joy and happiness find you this season ♡

what's your Christmas routine?

2014-12-23T22:08:00.001-05:00

just wondering.

basically we stay up on Christmas Eve, eat dinner, get dressed, and go to midnight Mass. after the service, we go home and open presents. the little ones go to bed around two or three a.m., while the rest of us watch movies or just talk

and drink eggnog. we do this every year, i don't remember a year when i didn't. i can't imagine sleeping and waking up on Christmas Day at, like, nine to open presents and go to church then. but, that's just me. i'm a night owl, so i guess that's why.

how about you? what's your christmas routine like? any family traditions or special things you must do every year? ;) i'd love to know!

love love love! MJ

red red wrapping

2014-12-21T16:43:00.000-05:00

much wrapping and shopping and sewing done and to be done / / listening to Christmas music

(and if you were wondering, the white + red nail polishes are for candy cane striped nails..i'll let you know how it goes...)

love love love! MJ

diy / / felt christmas tree lights garland

2014-12-18T20:19:00.000-05:00

Who wants a simple garland with felt tree lights that have kawaii faces? Not to mention strung on pretty baker's twine? Me!

This idea came to me as I was helping take out the Christmas decorations. I came across the boxes of tree lights, and thought a felt garland would be nice to put up in my room!

I hope you enjoy this easy DIY. If you do happen to make this, shoot me a photo at littlepandacrafts@gmail.com or use the hashtag #littlepandacrafts

Cut out your shapes.

Sew a kawaii face onto one piece.

Put both pieces together, and using a running stitch, sew all around.

make lots more ---> Then cut out a narrow strip of black or gray felt.

Cut the narrow strip into smaller pieces. Fold them over ad attach them to the tops of the lights using fabric glue or hot glue.

Have a fabulous rest of your week!

love love love! MJ

washi weekend / / no. 1

2014-12-14T21:32:00.002-05:00

Saturday night was a washi weekend! I was busy for most of the day, in the morning I had a swim meet as well, but it seemed nice to tone down and play with tape...so I did..with Panda Boy.

Just leave out washi and gel pens (yes, you don't have to put the ones that are more expensive and dear to your heart out either) and let your child or sibling play.

Crafter at work...

You can join in on the fun if you wish!

These are how his turned out. Apparently these two are called Orange Boy and Blueberry Girl, and they eat fruit for dinner and are getting married. :)

I also think it's nice to look at kids' drawings. Panda Boy acts so much older all the time trying to keep up with his older siblings that sometimes you need a reminder--like his adorable drawings--that he's still five.

I think I'll have to do more of these weekends, Panda Boy loves washi as much as I do and is just waiting for "boy washi tape" for himself. So far this is in the cart but maybe I could find something else?

On another note, my oldest brother is getting his college acceptence letters throughout this week and the rest of December. Keep him in your prayers, please, okay? I really hope he gets in a college he wants! thank you friends xo

It's been super busy but super fun lately! Lots of assignments, holiday fun, and hectic days around here! But I'm happy :)

Have a lovely Sunday!

love love love! MJ

recent projects

2014-12-04T23:25:00.000-05:00

There have been quite a few tutorials and DIY's I've had to finish up on..and when I was (halfway) through I got tired and just felt like doodling.

I love triangles and donuts :) I was hoping for a few new ideas for my next plushies, which I'll probably post next year since I'm trying to focus on holiday things this season.

Who's put their tree up yet?

love love love! MJ

favorite things about winter / / tag!

2014-12-02T16:40:00.001-05:00

Hello!

The lovely amy nominated me for the "Favorite Things About Winter" tag. I don't do tags as much, probably because I've done quite a few already and I wouldn't know what else to say about myself! ;) But, this is about winter. Winter. My favorite season, remember?

So I decided to follow through with this tag. thanks Amy! xo :3

5 Things I Love About Winter

1) The feeling...it's so nice and cozy even during the hectic holiday time! I can't explain it, but even when I'm busy at this time of year and totally overwhelmed, somewhere inside me I feel warm and peaceful and cheery. That's the magic of winter right there ;D

2) Gift-wrapping and giving. Giving is fun. It makes the other person oh-so-happy, and it makes you oh-so-happy knowing you've made someone happy. It's nice.

3) Christmas. I don't mean the whole "gifts and Santa" thing, I mean the fact that Jesus was born!

4) Decorating. There's nothing I love more than decorating the Christmas tree with family, and stringing lights, putting up wreaths...it's a happy time.

5) Being. Whether it's when I see the first snow of the season fall, or I'm making hot chocolate for my little brothers, I feel so happy and thankful to be alive. That even though there are days I feel sick of everything, there are happy moments, too. I say a quick prayer to Him and thank him for letting me, well, be here.

Questions + Answers

1) What is winter like where you live?

It really depends. I live on the east coast of the U.S., and sometimes we get snow as early as Halloween. Other times, we're super lucky if it snows on Christmas! It does get super cold though!

2) What is you favorite Christmas treat?
Gingerbread and candy canes.

3) What is your favorite thing to wear in the winter?

boots + skinny jeans + scarves + knee-high socks

4) What is your favorite way to stay warm in the winter?
Hmm..well, I wear cute boots with skinny jeans most of the time, and I love loop scarves!

5) What is your favorite thing to do on a cold winter day?
Playing in the snow with my younger siblings and pretending I'm a little kid again. Or, since apparently "I'm too weak to shovel" I wait inside with hot cocoa ready for our busy shovelers :)

~~~~~~~~

Thanks again for the nomination Amy! And I nominate whoever wants to do this tag! Use the same questions, because they're perfect :)

How have you been? I need to get the tree and decorations up soon and there are lots of assignments to do! When I have time at night I watch Christmas movies while sewing... or eating lots of ice cream (photo above).

I've felt so tired lately, even when I do try to sleep for longer hours...and I fall asleep during French...but I'll figure it out, I guess.
This never used to happen last year, I would sleep for two hours a night and I would be fine throughout the day...now I sleep at most seven hours and I'm still so tired. My friends joke that "the sleep has caught up to me" now. ;) It's a struggle to wake up in the morning, I find myself hitting snooze (now you know something's up! when have I ever used the snooze button??) and I'm not as energetic as I was last year.

Anyhow, I'm on a mission to stay happy and stress-free this season! Or at least I'll try ;) What are your goals for the season?

love love love! MJ

happy advent!

2014-12-01T19:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Advent! I know I'm a day late, but I was super busy yesterday!

Anyhow, I did some late-night sewing and completed this Advent ornament. What do you think?

I hope you all have a lovely Advent, and that this season is filled with hope and anticipation for Christmas. I also hope this season you can reflect on everything in your life, and grow closer to Jesus as you wait for His birthday. :)

How was your Thanksgiving? The break wasn't even a break, ha ha! We had friends over, and it was super hectic! But we had lots of fun and time to catch up on everything. Friends are truly wonderful :)

Good food, good friends, lots of love...I couldn't wish for more.

I'm sorry I haven't done tutorials lately...I'm working on something that I've held off for a while because I didn't have time but it's very exciting! And it has to do with sewing! ;D

Happy Advent, friends! xo

love love love! MJ

sugar paper planner find

2014-11-23T12:37:00.001-05:00

Hello! So I found a lovely planner at Target for $7.99.

The brand is Sugar Paper LA, and this was a new line released on what, October 28? I was drooling over other YouTubers' ones, and I decided to see if they had them at my local Target yesterday. But my hopes weren't too high--I figured they were sold out by now.

Wrong! They looked like they had been just stocked. I'm mentally kicking myself for not taking a photo of the display for you all, but a quick search works :)

Anyhow, the planner I got was a planner notes one. Basically, it's a month-on-two paged with added pages for note space. At the front, there are pages for a yearly overview, quick reference information, holidays, and contacts.

Then, there are the month-on-two pages. Lastly, there is a folder/divider and then pages for notes.

I had taken photos of the inside pages to show you all, but they ended up darker than usual. And when I tried brightening them, I couldn't see the writing! ;) But, if you're interested in how the inside pages exactly look, let me know and I'll email you photos :)

The monthly/notes ones weren't the only type available--there are ones with also week-on-two pages. I was thinking of getting that, but I have been neglecting my usual planner for the longest time. I never have time to decorate or anything, and I'm really used to using Google Calendar on my phone. Basically I type in the events and the notes on the taskbar at the side. So, a monthly planner works way better for me.

Ugh. I'm looking back now and realizing what a wordy post this is--I'm sorry for boring you now!

How about you? How have you been with your planning or organizing lately?

love love love! MJ

chai tea = chai latte

2014-11-18T21:15:00.002-05:00

christmas mag + chai tea

Did you know....chai tea and chai latte are. the. same. thing.
I'm sorry, I never knew, ha ha.

I had been seeing chai lattes all over Instagram, and I asked my mom to make some. She said that she makes it every day. Correction: twice every day. ;)
They're the same because my mom makes chai with milk, as is with a chai latte.
soo whenever I drink chai (which, surprisingly, I have probably drank more of it than coffee this year!!!) I'm actually enjoying a chai latte. Pretty cool, huh? Or maybe I'm so dumb because I just figured this out XD

Oh, and I'm sorry "chai tea" is in the title, ha ha. It's pretty redundant, as chai means tea, anyway.

Do you like your tea with milk, or water? (Pick milk! Then you'll secretly be enjoying a latte too ;)

love love love! MJ

random little post, ha ha! I've been feeling a little busy and overwhelmed lately, there never seems to be enough time to finish a project, but plenty to start...and argh so many assignments! peeping into all your blogs is such a calm refresher, honestly. i'll get to yours soon, promise! xo

:: this week ::

2014-11-16T13:08:00.003-05:00

I love:

1/ / walking in the red, gold, and orange leaves

2 / / a cup of coffee and cute embroidery

3 / / looking through room decor catalogs

4 / / how department stores are getting ready for Christmas

5 / / counting things I am thankful for; there are so many!

Blog Posts I Love:

1) My Top Ten Tips to NaNoWriMo Success @ Tickle Your Cute Bone
2) No Sew DIY Curtains @ Undercover DIYer
3) Bee and PuppyCat Plushie @ Perfect Imperfections
4) One Sheet Advent Pocket Book @ Crafty Journal
5) One Good Deed a Day, Week 2 @ Delineate Your Dwelling

~.~.~.~

*I decided to do this post this week as challenged from the lovely amy! it was a fun idea! xo

I hope you have a fabulous week!

love love love! MJ