My World of Crazy Fun

Spring in Alaska

2013-04-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Anytime we see any sign of Spring approaching, Old Man Winter decides to pay us a visit. Here we are in April with a tad bit of snow.

Looking out the front of my living room window, you'd never know it is supposed to be Spring.

The view from my dining room isn't much different either. Unfortunately we got dumped on this past weekend. . .

But I can't complain too much. Snow days make for perfect indoor time spent crafting. I decided to try my hand at knitting cables, and out came this cute "mug sweater," as my daughter mockingly refers to it as. My favorite coffee cup is quite cozy, don't you think?

Off to enjoy some more coffee. Until the next time. . .

Happy Valentine's Day

2013-02-14T13:45:00.004-09:00

Wishing you a beautiful Valentine's Day and hoping your day is filled with much love and happiness.

Photography - VERY Basic Tips To Getting Started

2013-02-12T11:11:00.001-09:00

I have people ask me all the time about my photography equipment. The truth is that I have, by industry standards, a dinosaur of a camera, a Fuji Finepix S3 Pro. I don't think it's even made anymore. It's perfect for studio work, but does have limited options for low light ambient light situations. I use a very inexpensive off brand lens (Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8) or a nice quality lens (Nikkor 85mm f/1.4) depending on what I'm shooting. Some day I will upgrade to my dream camera, but probably not anytime soon.

You may have heard before, it's not the camera that takes a good picture, it's the person behind it. Well, I agree with that. . . . for the most part, but I won't deny that having a good equipment certainly helps, especially lenses.

If you're serious about taking better photos, my best advice is to forget the big Canon or Nikon debate and do some research of your own to see what sort of camera will fit your needs. Everyone takes photos for different reasons. Once you invest in your camera, LEARN TO USE YOUR MANUAL SETTINGS. Once you gain a basic knowledge of proper exposure, the sky is the limit. It's not going to happen overnight, believe me, I'm still learning, but here are a few suggestions to help you get started.

Check out DP Review and do some side-by-side comparisons on some cameras. Read the reviews and specs, but ignore the brand wars. The truth is there are many great camera brands out there, you just have to find out what works for your photographic needs and your budget.

Be careful of black and gray market products and be sure to use a reliable source to purchase your equipment. B&H Photo Video and Adorama are two reputable places to purchase quality photographic equipment*

Don't focus so much on kits, but rather what it is you're going to be shooting and what sort of equipment will offer the best outcome for your needs. Perhaps you already have a nice DSLR, and you want to upgrade your lens. Having quality glass can really make a big difference, but again, isn't always necessary.

Check out additional review sites that are geared for a broader consumer audience and not just for professionals, like Ken Rockwell's site.

Invest in books that will help you gain a greater knowledge and better understanding of photography.

I recommend the Photography text by Barbara London, Jim Stone and John Upton and Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. I have older versions of both, and they are wonderful references.

You might also want to join, or browse, some online photography communities. Not all are geared for the novice, but many do have valuable information and resources. Here are a couple links you could start with.

Cambridge in Color

Improve Photography

Last, but not least, get out and SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT! Practice what you've researched and try to gain a solid understanding so your images will be consistent. If you're frustrated because your pictures don't look like the pros, but you feel like you have a solid understanding of basic photography, you can now get started with your post processing journey. Post processing is meant to enhance a photo, but nothing can replace proper exposure out of the camera. The more you shoot and practice gaining control of your camera's settings, the better your straight out of camera (SOC) images will be and the less post processing you'll need to do. I will touch on post processing someday, in the mean time, go out and practice your manual settings!

Until the next time. . .

Lip Chap Cozy Giveaway

2013-01-29T13:06:00.000-09:00

Many times after a gymnastics competition, gymnasts receive goody bags. Those goody bags obviously don't fill themselves, so parents, at our gym, are asked to contribute 40 items to go into those bags. Since I'm on a limited budget, and I didn't want to give junk or candy, I decided I'd make 40 of something.

I didn't want to overwhelm myself and take on a project too big. I also wanted to make something budget friendly and quick, and ultimately decided on lip chap cozies (my daughter started calling lip balm lip chap as a baby, and it's since become the adopted term in our house).

I looked online to find the perfect pattern, but most required fancy key fobs or D rings, which I didn't have, so I came up with my version of a lip chap cozy. I made a few to see which prototype I liked best and I think I'll be using this one. I don't have pictures of the other two as they were snatched up quickly by my daughters and are already clipped to their school bags.

These make great little gifts and are quite practical especially during the cold dry winters. Head on over to my Facebook page for a chance to win this cute little lip chap cozy.

Until the next time. . . .

A Few of My Hats

2013-01-27T17:17:00.002-09:00

As absent as I've been from blogging and posting projects on Facebook, I've actually been getting some crafting done while I sit at the gym for nine hours a week as my girls do gymnastics, and when I can't sleep at night. I've been terrible about taking pictures of the things I make though, so when I received this picture of my daughter's wonderful team of middle school teachers, I was quite thrilled. I made each of them a hat for my daughter to gift to them for Christmas.

L to R: Ynez Slaymaker, Kirsten Roos, Clare Shea, Cynde Anderson

Taylor picked out the colors for each teacher. She said Sra. Slaymaker liked blue, Ms. Roos liked green, Ms. Shay liked orange, and Ms. Anderson liked purple.

As we were driving home from her competition yesterday, I said to her, "It seems like you're really interested in all your subjects this year because you keep talking about them, that's great, " and her enthusiastic response was, "I need someone to share all my knowledge with!" Thank you to this wonderful team of teachers for doing such a great job. You all have inspired my daughter more than you know, and I know you're doing a job well done when my daughter comes home all excited to tell me about what she's learned each day.

Until the next time. . . .

Yummy Homemade Hot Chocolate

2013-01-27T13:45:00.002-09:00

It's been a while! While I'd love to craft and blog all day everyday, life's duties do come first. Between competitive gymnastics, Junior Nordic, skating and most importantly, school, this blog will probably continue to be neglected.

Now that my excuses are out of the way, I have to tell you, it is COLD here in Alaska! Just when I was beginning to think we weren't going to have a winter, our temps have dropped to single digits, and in some areas below zero! I can't complain though. Cold weather usually brings brighter days with blue skies and best of all, a reason to drink lots of hot chocolate.

This morning I made some tasty homemade hot chocolate. I don't make it often or I'd probably be diabetic. It is not fat free or healthy, just a delicious treat. If you're looking for heart healthy, don't bother trying this recipe.

However, if you're looking for a warm and yummy chocolate treat that doesn't entail baking, then give this recipe a try. The vanilla I use is from Puerto Rico, and I think it's infused with cinnamon which makes it so much better. If I were to use regular vanilla I would definitely add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the sugar mixture. Oh and I use 1% Organic Milk and it's plenty rich, and not too watery. Really any recipe can be altered to your liking so if you have any great tips to improve this recipe, feel free to share. Enjoy and stay warm!

Until the next time. . . .

Another Chance For The Classroom Subway Art Silhouette File

2012-11-19T09:13:00.000-09:00

I've been pretty absent lately, but I do try to take the time to read and respond to emails that I get here or on the My World of Crazy Fun Facebook page.

One of the frequent emails I get is asking for the Silhouette classroom subway art file so I'm sharing it again, but there is a catch. Go to My World of Crazy Fun on Facebook and become a fan, then come back to this post and leave me a comment saying you're a fan and I will send you a link to the file. That's all.

Until the next time . . . .

*Edited to include fonts used in my file. Without these fonts, you will need to substitute & resize to make words fit in the space. I suggest insuring you have these fonts first before you try to open my studio file unless you prefer to substitute. Thanks again!*

Impact

American Typewriter

Apple Casual

Arial Black

Euphemia UCAS

Times

Handwriting - Dakota

Charcoal CY

Herculanum

Arial

Arial Narrow

Arial Rounded MT Bold

Apple LiSung

Papyrus

Chalkboard

Free Pumpkin Hat Pattern

2012-10-01T14:51:00.002-08:00

Remember the cute pumpkin hat I posted? Well here's the pattern. I am a beginner in the knitting world, and have never written a pattern, but decided to try it out when I couldn't find a pumpkin hat pattern using the yarn and needle sizes I was looking for. As with anything, if you find ways to make it better, please feel free to alter your work to fit your needs, this just happened to work for me. This is a child's pattern, but it could easily be altered to fit an adult by adding about 3 rows to the body of the hat before decreasing. If you have an extra large head, you will have to cast on more according to the circumference of your head and choose the amount to knit and purl and slightly change the decrease.

Please do not sell this pattern as your own. Feel free to sell the hats you make, but remember to give credit to My World of Crazy Fun.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thanks and I hope you enjoy the pattern. Until the next time. . . .

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A Little Halloween Giveaway

2012-09-29T13:25:00.000-08:00

I had the urge to make a pumpkin hat out of Lion Brand Super Bulky Yarn because I knew it would be quick. I set out to find patterns, but I found nothing I was looking for so I attempted to make my own pattern.

I think it turned out so cute, but apparently my youngest daughter is too cool to wear it so I'm giving it or a colorful and fun Halloween pillowcase away. Head on over to my My World of Crazy Fun's Facebook page and become a fan by pressing "like" AND post a comment on the giveaway photo. I'll be drawing a name from fans who have commented on Monday October 1st.

In the mean time I will write up the pattern I used and post it soon. Good luck and until the next time. . . .

Fall Solstice

2012-09-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Fall Solstice! It's closer to the end of Fall here. Pretty soon we'll be seeing the white stuff.

Not quite ready for winter, but the kids sure are. Until the next time. . . .

Under Water

2012-09-21T07:56:00.001-08:00

Remember the crazy weather I mentioned in a previous post? Well it's still here and causing a lot of damage. Check out the front page of the Anchorage Daily news here. You'll notice that not only is the crazy weather featured, but crazy people as well.

While my residence is no where near affected, unfortunately I can't say the same about our cabin on the Yentna river. I'm really hoping this rain lets up soon. For more information on the flooding, check out the following links.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Facebook Page

(They've been doing a fantastic job updating on the flooding out in the Mat-Su)

KTUU

Anchorage Daily News

Until the next time. . . .

Tough Alaska Chick

2012-09-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

The weather in this part of Alaska is still wild and crazy only now they have issued flood warnings in some areas due to all the rain. So not only are people having to contend with the hurricane force winds, but some have to be evacuated from their homes due to flooding. Fortunately, other than an occasional power outage, the storm has had little impact at my house.

In fact, I braved the breeze and rain to do a senior photo shoot yesterday and I have to say, my senior is definitely a tough Alaska chick. Knowing the weather was far from ideal, she still wanted to go ahead with the shoot and I'm glad we did.

You see, this was a very special photo shoot for me because I've known Miss B since she was born and I was honored when she asked me if I'd take her senior photos.

Considering how wet it was and the fact that I couldn't keep my lens dry, we managed to get some good shots.

We will be meeting again on a better day for a second shoot to get some more creative poses in when we're not so rushed.

Beautiful easy going people sure make taking photos fun, and I can't wait to meet up with this lovely young lady again. Until the next time. . . .

I Love Power

2012-09-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

I really do love power. I'm not talking control power, although I do like that too, but electricity. After over 33 hours without power, it is finally back on. We had a crazy wind storm with hurricane force winds in many parts of the Anchorage area. I wanted to share some photos submitted to the media from community members after a the wind storm.

Here is a chart the Anchorage Daily News posted on the preliminary wind speeds of the recent storm.

The wind blew over a wooden flag pole downtown where this time capsule had been hidden. What a neat hidden treasure.

There were many reported trampolines and swing sets that were said to be damaged. Ours were fine, but then again the wind wasn't as strong where we are located.

Unfortunately Merrill Field was hit with some of the strongest winds so there was damage to some aircrafts.

Many people don't have garages or don't use them, so there were quite a few reports of damaged vehicles.

Check out this uprooted tree. Anchorage is used to seeing winds, but not often do they do this much damage. I'm just thankful for the crews that worked tirelessly to restore power and clean up the debris. Many worked for over 24 hours cold, wet and tired. I hope that those with medical needs that require electricity weren't too negatively affected. I'm glad it's over and I sure hope we don't see one of those storms in the middle of winter. In case we do though, I will have extra gas for my back-up generator and a lot of wood for the wood stove stored.

To check out more photos of the damage caused by the crazy winds, check out the Anchorage Daily News or KTUU's reader submitted photo page.

Until the next time. . .

Stunning Young Lady

2012-07-17T13:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing an absolutely stunning young lady who was up visiting from sunny Arizona.

She did great considering she's used to 100+ degree weather and it was in the 50's last night.

Here is a cropped version of the photo above. I couldn't choose which photos to share so I decided to share the original and cropped versions of a few.

There are so many great photos of her, but I couldn't wait to share just a few. It was truly an honor to photograph this beauty. I'll post some more of the session in the near future.

Until the next time. . . .

Quick Back Yard Photo Shoot

2012-07-11T02:12:00.000-08:00

I've had my 85mm lens for a while, but haven't used it much, and for no real reason. So the night before last, I asked my daughter if I could take her photos.

She agreed to brave the chilly and drizzly evening along with the blood thirsty mosquitos just to make me happy, oh and to bargain for candy.

And I'm sure glad I agreed to her deal. She really was a good sport.

This is the daughter we often refer to as Pig-Pen. Like the Peanuts character, she's usually just a filthy mess.

But my beautiful little tomboy sure does clean up well when she wants to.

Until the next time. . . .

Art In Nature Form

2012-05-22T10:16:00.001-08:00

My girls were out late playing while I enjoyed a little peace and quiet after a day of working in the garage. During my moment of R&R, I received an email from my oldest daughter and this is what I found.

I love it! I'm a proud Momma when my girls use their creativity to entertain themselves and express themselves artistically.

Until the next time. . . .

Bonus Day

2012-05-21T00:19:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for summer to arrive, and boy has it been slow approaching since our record winter snowfalls. It's still a bit chilly out most days, but we did have some awesome weather last Thursday and Friday.

What I'm most excited about summer, besides the warm weather, is that I'm hoping to brush up on my photography skills. I've got three built-in models, although most of the time they aren't cooperative. Today I got lucky and my oldest daughter let me do her hair in one of my favorite braids, the waterfall braid. She even agreed to let me take pictures of her afterwards, which wasn't planned, but a nice little bonus for this camera loving mom. I hope to have more bonus days this summer.

Until the next time. . . .

More Teacher Gifts

2012-05-20T23:34:00.001-08:00

So school is out for the summer and we couldn't be more excited. As I previously mentioned, my daughter and I were working on some projects that she is going to be selling to raise money for her Spain trip, and these were among them. They turned out super cute. So cute that we ended up giving them as end-of-the-year teacher gifts, and the best part is that the girls did a lot of the work.

It's hard to tell, but they are actually glossy, sort of glass-like.

They are made out of egg shells, can you believe it?

And we used alcohol ink to get the fun bright colors.

We used both craft wood and scrap wood.

The girls and are so in love with them, and their teachers really liked them too. They are just so pretty. I'm thinking a tutorial is in order, if I can get motivated enough to take pictures. So stay tuned!

Until the next time. . . .

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Fun Projects Ahead

2012-05-12T08:33:00.001-08:00

I've been busy with end of the year activities at the school so not a whole lot of anything exciting going on. Here are a couple things my daughter and I have been working on when do have a little time. Her goal is to raise $3,500 in a year for her middle school trip to Spain. She's already got many projects planned so we'll be busy this summer.

Beautiful and colorful paper beads. I think they look great as is, but I'm sure they'll be even prettier once they're made into something. No two beads are the same, similar maybe, but not identical.

Colorful pendants made out of eggshells that she'll be combining with her paper beads to make beautiful necklaces. I can't wait to see the designs she comes up with.

Stay tuned to see more of my daughter's projects. Until the next time. . . .

Cinco de Mayo

2012-05-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

There was nothing special going on at this end for Cinco de Mayo yesterday. Two of my girls were out at a Cinco de Mayo birthday party/sleep over. Those of us who stayed home enjoyed some S'mores around our first outdoor fire of the season.

Perhaps next year, I'll get ambitious and do something for Cinco de Mayo. . . we'll see. In the mean time I thought I'd share links of recipes and ideas, other than the usual tacos and enchiladas, that might be fun for a future Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

First and foremost, whether you're talking about a Cinco de Mayo fiesta or any other party, this is must have recipe for most parties. That's right, Pico de Gallo is the perfect party food. It's quick, easy, tasty, and and can be made to your liking (I often add fresh lime juice or orange juice to mine). Here's a basic recipe that would go good with tortillas or any other Mexican dish. Yum!

These colorful pinata sugar cookies by She Knows Food & Recipes would be a fun and tasty treat for your guests.

Who doesn't like delicious queso dip, except maybe those who are lactose intolerant. This is a recipe from Pennies on a Platter that I'll definitely be trying in the future.

I haven't tried these Margarita Shots by Mrs. Wifestine Palmer, but they would be dangerously fun for a future Cinco de Mayo fiesta, although I have to admit, I think I'm too old for shots.

Here's a different kind of margarita recipe from Scissors and Spatulas, obviously not a traditional recipe, but looks super yummy.

Here's a really easy margarita recipe posted by Katherine on allrecipes.com that looks quite delicious.

If you're looking for a less traditional way to serve your alcohol, then check out these Frozen Melon Margarita Pops by Martha Stewart. They can certainly be served without the spirit soak for those who don't consume alcohol.

A fiesta would be all the more complete with yummy churros on your menu. These are a great hit with both ~~big kids~~ adults and little kids. Here's a recipe by Mom's Mexican Recipes that might be worth a try.

If you're the type to go the extra mile, don't forget to dress up your table with these adorable mini chili pepper pinata favors as shown by Party Pinching.

And if you're looking for some some quick invitations, check out Tom Kat Studio for these colorful and free printables. She has a variety of other fun party theme ideas so make sure you browse through her site.

You can't have a fiesta without a pinata. Curbly has some links to great mini pinata ideas.

Last, but not least, I leave you with one of my tried and favorite margarita recipes from our close family friend, Jon, otherwise known as Grandpa Jon. I'm not sure if this is his personal recipe, but he's who shared it with me.

Margarita on the Rocks

Ingredients:

(I have tried this recipe with cheaper brands, but it definitely wasn't as good)

Tequila (I use Sauza or Patron)

Orange Liqueur (I use Patron Citron)

Brandy (I use Presidente Brandy)

Sweet and Sour Mix

Rose's Lime Juice

Lime

Margarita Salt

Ice

In a drink shaker filled with ice mix the following:

1.5 ounces of tequila

.5 ounces of orange liqueur

.5 ounces of brandy

4 ounces of Sweet and Sour Mix

Splash of Lime Juice

Rub the rim of your glass with a fresh lime wedge, dip the rim into your salt, pour your freshly mixed margarita into your glass filled will ice and garnish with the same lime wedge. Enjoy and please drink responsibly.

Until the next time. . . .

Duct Tape Creations

2012-05-04T08:54:00.001-08:00

Recently I was going through my friend, Paige's online photos of her son going to his spring formal. I didn't think anything of the pictures other than the kids looked great. Then after about the umpteenth photo, I realized that Coleton wasn't just wearing any old suit to the dance, he was in a duct tape suit!

I love the touch of color on their suits, and I think they look quite handsome in them. I wonder how easy it was to dance in them and how many rolls of tape they used?

I mean how cool is that?! I love it! Heck I just love duct tape and so do my girls. I don't have photographs of their projects, but here are some photos of some pretty neat Duct Tape creations.

Beautiful and fun gowns by Celeste and Nora. Amazing! I can't imagine the hours spent putting those dresses together.

I love this yummy dreamsicle purse shown here. Perfect summer colors.

Speaking of summer colors, how fun is this ensemble?! I want that umbrella!

Check out these totally adorable accessories by Allison at House of Hepworths. Her blog is one of my favorites to follow. HOH is like following a real person and not just a corporate representative. I'm not saying the other bloggers aren't real, just that Allison's projects seem attainable and she provides great tutorials on products she too would use.

Just in time for your summer trips to the beach, lake or your favorite picnic spot, head on over to Family Fun to learn how to make this cute tote.

I Love this beautiful wreath by Maeling at A Lil' Bit O' This N' That

Crafty Soccer Mom has a tutorial on how to make these cute Duct Tape beads. My girls have a nice supply of Duct Tape so I'll be showing this tutorial to them.

This Queen of Hearts Dress has to be one of my favorites in Duct Tape fashion. I want one! Obviously not for everyday use, but this would be a fun Halloween or costume party dress.

And my most favorite projects are these gorgeous bags (above and below) from Second Chances by Susan. Aren't they beautiful?!

Back in 1998, during college, I went to a Halloween party. I spray painted my hair silver, painted my face silver, put on silver lashes, and I had duct taped my clothes in the old silver traditional Duct Tape, probably the only color at the time. I thought I was so clever, but most people didn't get my costume. I was a left-over! I don't have any pictures of my duct tape costume, but wish I did.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to create something with Duct Tape soon.

In the meantime, here is a simple and cute Duct Tape flower tutorial by How Joyful to try out.

Until the next time. . . .

Hair Play

2012-05-03T11:51:00.002-08:00

I love doing hair. . . . other people's hair, that is. I can never really seem to do my own, nor do I have the interest in fussing with myself.

Thanks to the release of The Hunger Games movie, my girls have been asking me to put their hair in all sorts of braids, but mostly the Katniss braid. I love it! I feel like I have my babies back! Here are three variations of the Dutch braid, most commonly referred to as the Katniss braid, around here. Excuse the poor quality of the photos, they were all taken with my iPhone.

This was my first attempt, not too shabby. My daughter was happy. I don't spend a lot of time on these braids so I don't go for perfection.

Another try, another daughter, another day. Now if I could only learn to deal with fly aways.

I was attempting to do a half crown braid today, but did it a little too high. If you're looking to do a Katniss braid, or a simple dutch braid and don't know how, check out YouTube, there are a ton of tutorials out there. I happened to know how to do a dutch braid so I didn't didn't need a tutorial, but my oldest daughter taught herself using video tutorials.

Today one of my girls wanted something like the braid Katniss wore on the day of the reaping. My daughter's hair is much shorter though so I did what I could.

I was also recently privileged to do hair for my friend's daughter and her friend for their JROTC ball. I'm not a trained professional, so they aren't perfect, but I thought their hair turned out beautifully. This was taken before the girls headed out to have their make-up done.

I just love how Kait looked. Her updo was very classy looking.

Daley wanted to incorporate a braid and a high updo with curls. The girls were both gorgeous and I was quite thrilled that I got to play with hair.

Until the next time. . . .

Etched Glass

2012-04-27T00:52:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be neat to etch this design on a glass. It's the same one I used on the shirt I shared yesterday.

Until the next time. . . .

Giveaway

2012-04-26T16:01:00.001-08:00

I truly enjoy creating things and sharing with my friends and family. To show my gratitude, I'm doing a small giveaway. This handbag is handmade by yours truly.

So head on over to my Facebook page and enter my giveaway. Thanks again!

Until the next time. . . .

****UPDATED WITH GIVEAWAY WINNER****

Bringing Some Culture Into My World Of Crazy Fun

2012-04-25T18:19:00.002-08:00

I'm having so much fun incorporating Yup'ik into my crafts. Here are two shirts I did using my Silhouette and fabric paint.

When I was little and living in the village, "Aipaqluk," was a saying used frequently by most kids. The literal translation is "let's be partners/friends," but it was commonly used to say, "let's hang out." One might hear, around kids exposed to more English, "Let's Aipaq." I wanted my shirt to be all in Yup'ik so I chose the saying I remembered using as a child.

For this shirt, I wanted something that represented my culture, and dance is a huge part of it. I haven't designed a female fan (caribou with woven sea grass handles) yet so I used a male dance fan for my design. Yupiaq means real person in Yup'ik.

Until the next time. . . .