The Artsee Diva

Just Talking: Celebrity deaths and the impact on society

2013-12-01T15:10:00.000-05:00

It seems that when a celebrity dies, the internet goes crazy. The news outlets obsess, celebrity gossip sites dig deep into the dramatic final moments of their life and fans cry and mourn with each other. Numerous people play devil's advocate during the public mourning period, reminding people that cancer, war and tragedy strikes daily. While I don't intend to take away from the severity of these very important issues, I do want to play my own version of advocate and point out something about these spotlight deaths and what they do to the general population.

The entertainment business and (many) of our lives are tightly knit together. We listen to music, watch television and escape the chaos of life through a movies and the mix of it all. We become attached to the characters in our favorite show, pay money to go watch our favorite singer dance and sing for two hours, and for the really committed-- buy overpriced merchandise. We read about them in magazines, tweet them for a shout out, and well, I think you get the idea. Why we do this is for another time, but for the moment just realize that regardless of how they really are, celebrities are put into a spotlight and mean different things to different people. One of the larger meanings that celebrities and those in the spotlight have is that they remind us of humanity; even if they represent a skewed version of it. Some people heroicize celebrities, other strive to be like them, and some just enjoy the talents that they share with the masses. Regardless of where you stand, certain celebrities mean SOMETHING to you. Example: A few months ago the Glee fandom (and the world) watched in horror as the scene unfolded that one of the main characters, arguably THE main character, passed suddenly. Cory battled his own demons, and they won. The fandom and the world mourned, and masses of people took to social media and blogs to talk about what he meant to them. Some looked to him as a role-model to get clean, others looked to him as a normal guy who stumbled into acting. Others spoke about what his character meant to them, What the show meant to them. Some people spoke out that he shouldn't be mourned due to how he died or that there were far more important things to worry about, which may be true, but that doesn't discredit that to scores of people he meant SOMETHING. The same can be said for anyone who has passed in the spotlight. It's especially important that in today's world, you realize the impact that social media has on the relationship between entertainer and the general public. They can speak and reach out to them, even if it's nothing more than to get a retweet. Given that, celebrities are in a position of serving as a reminder of ourselves, a peer of sorts. Due to that, when one of them dies, you are reminded of just how precious your own (and your loved ones) life is. You never really know when your number will be called, and I think that's where the impact of celebrity passings come into play. It's not that the celebrity is touted as perfect or THE only important death, it's that the celebrity is the realism OF death.

"Oh my GOD. I can't believe it!" Total shock comes to mind when we see the headlines. Most recently (and what has spawned this whole soapbox out of me) was the news that Paul Walker had passed away in a car accident. Here's the thing, Paul Walker isn't a name you see every day. He's not on television every week on a well-watched sitcom, he's not in the tabloids every day and he may not hold the most impact of celebrities in your every day life; but he is a representation of something. For me? He is a staple of high school. Varsity Blues reigned supreme in my small football town in it's prime, and ever since then, he's represented that just as much as James Van Der Beek's awful southern accent. After that movie, I followed him throughout his career. He's a reminder of a time that is fast fading and now that he's gone, a reminder that it can fade faster than we think. I was shocked, couldn't believe it, and then once it sank in that he had left the world, never to return again, I was overcome with extreme saddness for his family, for his only child. Regardless of his spotlight, he had a family; as do all the people, famous or not, that leave this world too soon.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that while many people fight against the public's mourning of a simple "celebrity", I think it plays an important role in the cycle of how we live our lives today. Our fast world doesn't allow us time to think about our own mortality. Our entitled invincibility doesn't leave room for time to reflect with and spend real quality time with our loved ones while they are here. We wait for a holiday, or worse, a death, to see some of the single most important people in our lives. People always joke that it takes a wedding or a funeral for a whole family to get together in today's world. Think about it though, how true is that for you? You never know what moment will be your last. What a better reminder, than to realize that even the people in the brightest of spotlights can fade in the blink of an eye?

In closing, go easy on the people who spend time mourning celebrities, hashtagging #RIP or reposting stories about the death. It may have been just the reminder that they needed of how precious life really is.

Now, go hug someone you love.

5 Tips for a successful Interview

2013-07-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

Everyone gets a little nervous before a big job interview. You spend hours upon hours applying for jobs that you think you will excel at, only to hear radio silence on the end of the company. Then it happens, you get a phone call. They want to meet you and discuss your resume and the position in detail. SCORE! Don't be caught unprepared before an interview. Here are a few tips to help you succeed!

Know the company. Research them! You can often times find interview questions and processes on Glassdoor.com as well. You would be suprised what you can learn from a short internet session. Glassdoor even has a section that allows you to get salary information and projections. Indeed.com also has an excellent review section from real (keep in mind, sometimes they are disgruntled) employees.

Dress for success (and the job you're applying for). Don't wear a 3 piece suit to interview for McDonald's, instead, opt for a nice pair of kahkis and a polo. If you're a girl, a modest sundress or dress pants set will do the job. Let your personality shine through your clothing. Don't apply for a fashion consultant or trendy retail job without looking the part when you walk in. One giant misconception is that you need to be a cookie cutter "dress for success" example when you walk into the interview doors, but fashion is an excellent way to express who you are before you even open your mouth. This can also be a curse, so use common sense!

Show emotion. Smile, laugh, and partake in active conversation at your interview. Allow the interviewer to guide the conversation, but don't let your nerves or shy nature take away from them seeing you for who you are. If it comes down to two people with the same exact skill set and expertise, they will always choose the one who will mesh the best with the team. Be that guy!

Know your strengths... and weaknesses. Be honest about them. When you know the company (tip #1) you also learn what they expect and need as a part of their team. Know what skills you possess that make you a great asset. On the same dime, know your weakness. They will 9/10 times ask you what your weakest quality is. Be honest about it, because when you get the job, they will find out quickly that you fibbed your way through the interview. I feel it is important to add to this that you want to sell your strengths that are important to the company. If you're applying for a retail management job, and you have some background in design... they probably don't care so much about your ability to designate CMYK from RGB as they do how you can manage a staff while handling customers.

It's a give and take. You can ask questions too. Ask questions that you have found after researching the company. This lets them know that you not only DO know the company and didn't just walk in off the bus with no direction and that you care enough to want more information about them. Don't be shy!

BONUS TIP:

Don't forget to say thank you. Have a firm handshake. Be confident. Hold your shoulders high and let them know you look forward to talking to them real soon. Follow up in a few days via email or phone.

Yummness: Chicken & Wine Sauce

2013-05-15T16:35:00.003-04:00

I think I'll make this a series from time to time. Keep in mind, I'm a simple single mom working type.. so a lot of the things I cook "cheat the system".. nothing is too thought out, but its nice to have meal ideas! I'm also not big on measuring, and I don't use recipes.. so yeah.

Yumness.
No pictures, because it was consumed before I remembered.

You will need:

Chicken breasts
1 can of cream of chicken soup
Herb seasoning stuffing mix (dry.. uncooked)
White (cooking) wine
a casserole dish
8-10 slices of swiss cheese

Pre1- Preheat oven to 350
1- Remove your clean dish from the cabinet, dish washer or box from the store
2- Wash your chicken, in whatever form you see fit to eat. I also cut the chicken breasts in half, makes it go farther and keeps it from being as dry with this meal.
3- Spread your breasts (shut up) in the pan/dish/contraption for cooking
4-Evenly and fully cover the chicken with swiss cheese slices. Really, swiss is the only one you can use. Sorry cheese snobs.
5-In a separate bowl/mixing contraption mix up your can of cream of chicken with approx. 1/4 cup of cooking wine.
6- Distribute your wine sauce mix over the top until everything is covered.
7-Cover completely in herb seasoned stuffing mix and bake @ 350 for about 45 minutes.

There are different variations, mostly using mushrooms in it as well.. however... mushrooms NEVER come in my house. Ever. Disgusting

Anyway.. that's it and its super good.. my grandma used to cook this all the time, so maybe its more awesome than other people think.. but my guy is a snob with food and he ate it up, so yay chicken!

Tell me how it works out for ya!

Good side options:
Green beans
Broccoli
Rice
Etc.. all easy

FREE STUFF! I'm an Influenster... wanna know more?

2013-01-04T16:41:00.001-05:00

I've been a member over at Influenster since March of last year, and while I haven't been the most active (I'm working on it... much like this blog!), I have been able to reap the benefits. I recently recieved a 'Holiday VoxBox', which is basically a box of goodies that I get to use, play with and keep... and it's been a really fun expierence. I've also had the chance to test out some household goods before as well. Why am I telling you this? Well... because it's FA FREE! It costs you nothing but time and some reviews... and it is SO worthwhile. You won't qualify for every box, but when you do it is literally like Christmas hit your mailbox!

So.. without wasting more of your time that you could be using to earn free stuff... here's a picture I snapped with Instagram of my Holiday box!

As far as reviewing things... I don't eat oatmeal, but I will be having a family member try that out for me. The EBoost energy powder is not good in my opinion... it just didn't taste right. The Quickstyle brush, I LOVE. I think it's great on dry hair, because it tames my frizz monster. I will be trying it on wet hair soon. The lipgloss is now a favorite of mine and the stick on nail stickers are AMAZING. You can see them the night after application below.

So... I suggest you get on with it and go sign up for Influenster RIGHT NOW!

www.influenster.com

Tis the season.. [playing catchup] Pt.1 (The Living Room)

2012-11-26T19:11:00.001-05:00

To come back to the blogosphere? To get back on my weightloss train? To craft? TO MOVE??

Welp blogworld.. I'm back. I'm back for the day at least, and then hopefully I'll be back for good sometime before Christmas. Life has happened fast, and I've been super busy (not a bad thing though, right?). Halloween came and went, work has been busy; because let's face it, the news never sleeps people!

I wanted to stop in for a moment though, and share with you some of my creations that happened over this past weekend. As I briefly mentioned, I am moving. We're all moving to be exact.. into my grandparent's house. It's weird, and it will probably never feel like home, but for the moment when money is so tight I don't really have time to fuss over things such as that. We aren't officially in yet, but we have been working on getting decorations up so that we aren't decorating the week before Christmas. You see... one thing you don't do while continuing on with your grandmother's legacy is NOT decorate for Christmas. Now, given everything going on.. it's not going to be nearly as decorated as she would have been, and the style isn't quite that of hers... but it's the thought that counts. I've still got a ways to go, but I did get a few things up and wanted to share.

I'm going to break this up into different posts as I get everything up and done.

This is a living room centerpiece that I put together from unused ornaments. There's really no science to it.. I just put some stuff in a bowl and hopefully it doesn't look too cray cray!

The mantle. This is the first time I've ever had one I could decorate, but unfortunately because of time, energy and just all around a lack of time to plan.. this is what happened. I just threw some things together, and it also has lights.. so that's festively delicious.

The tree topper. We have a angel that we've used, and last year we had a sad looking bow.. but I decided to try something different since we're using a much skinnier tree.. I like it, and I think it's fun!

The outdoor wreath. I didn't have any of my crafting stuff.. so I'm hoping this thing holds up in the wind because they are attached by the wreath itself.. that's usually how I do it though, because I never do the same wreath twice. I plan on adding a bow to it once I can get some of the appropriate ribbon.. but there she goes for now!

So.. that is it for now! I'm not sure when I'll be back over to the house this week.. but the plan is to be sleeping there by next week.. so hopefully I'll have some updates for you soon !

I made a skirt!

2012-08-20T10:35:00.001-04:00

Look for an OOTD with this soon!

Homeschooling Again

2012-08-08T11:34:00.003-04:00

So the day has arrived.
The day that I have pretended wouldn't come.

My baby went to 2nd grade.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? WHERE IS MY TINY BABYPOWDER SMELLING LOVE??

Now.. keep in mind, he didn't physically go anywhere. This is year 2 of homeschooling. Last year we did a little structure, but primarily took part in the highly frowned upon unschooling community. It's something that most people give the stank eye to, but if there's anything I can tell you about parenting decisions-- it's that YOU know your child. Nobody else knows your child. YOU know what they need. Last year, it's what we needed. He taught himself the things that he wanted to learn, when he wanted to learn them. We talked about everything from the solar system to what other kids do in other cultures; all without any particular curriculum. We took mini trips, conversations, read books... everything that a well balanced child should do.

This year we are doing Connections Academy online. Here's the kicker. I now work Mon-Fri. Mondays won't be so bad as I only work an hour or so early in the morning... but all of the other times, he will be under the care of my mother or a babysitter. I am being very particular about how keeps him, and am still interviewing. To this point, friends have kept him... so we'll see how that goes.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw a post in here to let you guys in the world know that we ARE homeschooling again this year, but it's going to be a big scary adjustment!

Here's to prayin' it all works out in the wash!

My 10 year high school reunion

2012-08-06T17:42:00.004-04:00

I don't really want to rewrite an entry, as I did that on my personal blog.. but here is a vlog from the evening.

and of course... what I wore

You can also find the blog I wrote about the expierence and the 5 lessons that I learned, here: http://thesmallworldofabiggirl.blogspot.com/2012/08/10-year-high-school-reunion-5-lessons-i.html

OOTD: Spring/Summer Casual Lunch Date

2012-07-15T15:34:00.001-04:00

Yes.. I know, I know. This is another OOTD post. I have a crafting blog planned, but right now my crafting area is in the middle of utter chaos-- sooo.. that's to come at a later time and date.

Not going to get very wordy about this, just gonna show you what I wore:

Now.. I am well aware of how hot is is. But this blazer is my staple. I wear it OUT. I will cry the day I don't have it anymore. I got it from goodwill for $3

Just a few details of the skirt and top. The top is from Maurices & the skirt is from Torrid. Both are many seasons ago.

Just a better detail of the shoes. Yes, my toes are nasty. No, I don't really care. The shoes came from Payless.. I think they were $6

My date <3

Just for fun... my current hair in natural light.

Until Next time...

Be Crafty, Be Fab.. but be YOU!

OOTD: Dinner With The Family

2012-07-08T10:50:00.002-04:00

I did something a little different this time with my OOTD. I filmed it.

Now.. I did this with the full intention of taking photos to accompany it... but alas, I forgot my good photo takin' camera... sooo you're stuck with the horrible quality video.

It was fun though, and I think I may do this format more often-- just with photos as well.

Here's the video-- hope you guys enjoy!

Thrifty Diva: Le Goodwill Haul Video

2012-06-29T16:17:00.000-04:00

Hey, I just met you.. and this is crazy.. but here's a video.. call me lazy (because I didn't write this up)!

OOTD: Errand Runnin' Casual

2012-06-28T18:20:00.000-04:00

Everyone has those days.
I just have them more than the average gal.
You don't want to put forth effort, but you're running errands that at least require you to look like something that DIDN'T wake up in a crypt 50 years ago.

I present to you my latest OOTD. This day we were doing a few paperwork errands, going to hit up the goodwill, medicine gettin'.. you know.. the usual errand greatness.

This outfit has a few awesome things about it. It's not the world's most fantastic OUTFIT.. but the pieces are some of my favorite things to play around with and use.

So there's the overview of the outfit. Minimal accessories (which is my usual during the summer.. I've already mentioned that)... but I love my earrings. The fact that they were only a dollar on clearance make them even more awesome in my book.

My skinny jeans are my FAVORITE (and only pair of jeans.. I have one more but they are my painting/crafting jeans). I love them though and am sad that I can't find these exact ones right now. I got them from JCPenny about 6 months ago. They were $24!! I love that JCP changed their prices (even though I'm too broke to partake).. and while they aren't the best quality, I love them. They feel fantastic, they have stretch to them and they are a good 60% less than what I'm accustomed to paying for jeans.

The top is from Torrid, some odd years ago. I'll go with 3-4. It's strapless... but it has POCKETS. Heck yeah! I got it on clearance.. I'd venture that I paid too much for it. Probably $26 dollars or so.

The lace cardigan (I guess it qualifies?) is from TJMaxx. It's been probably a year or more... but I wear this poor thing out. It's perfect for these tops like this that expose areas that I don't want to expose. I got it on clearance (are you shocked?). I am pretty sure it was $12.

Ok.. now for some details:

Very few sparkles today. My ring is hella old. It was $1 from Claires on the 10 for 10 sale. If you hit up claires, wait and hit it up when that sale is on. Take it from someone who worked there. That's all the stuff is worth, but when you hit it.. you can rack up. The bracelet is part of a set. I honestly think it was from Claire's too (give me a break man.. I had to wear 5 pieces every day... I have a lot of Claire's crap!). This is the only one that fit around my fat hand, but I like that it's the hammered metal effect. I only wore one.. because well, it's summer and my skin and sweat and fake metal don't mix. My earrings are from Rue21, $2!

I know you guys love my feet shots of my beautifully non-pedicure havin' feet. These shoes, I hate. Alas... they were all I had available to my outfit at the moment. It's not that they are horribly ugly, they just don't feel like me. I may tear them apart at some point and stud them and do a DIY on it... but that's in the very late future ;) They came from Shoe Dept on sale for $6! I only purchased them because my favorite white sandals broke while I was working... so they were needed. I wear them from time to time though.

SO there you have it. A very casual day out with the family, running errands.

Till next time!

OOTD: Basically.. it's just a dress

2012-06-18T18:40:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you just don't want to put effort into what you wear.. but what do you do when you're running errands and your only pair of jeans are in stand up on their own territory until laundry day??

You wear a cute dress.

This dress came from Cato last season. Oh maaa gaaawww.. she's so not on trend! Who cares? I wear what I want.. and this was the quickest, no fuss.. no need for undergarments.. no tugging.. easy, breezy (if we had one) kinda outfit that I could choose. The dress, I want to say, was around $20 on clearance.

Flipper to you then! I don't care! :D

This dress is fun.. and with effort it can really be jazzed up. I knew I had a day of appointments and errands so I tried to keep it as easy as possible. The hair actually ended up halfway through the day, but hey.. buns are cute too.

I paired the dress with some random bracelets that I usually always have on. They are brown and gold.. and just kinda there. I wasn't going after a beauty award.. just an award that wouldn't end up on People of Walmart.

For shoes.. again, keeping it basic.

Don't hate on my horrid feet. They need pedicured and repainted.. but that's what happens when you slap some on in the dark trying to get by. I think I'll show them some pedi love tonight actually.

These sandles are also from Cato (sooo weird, I hardly shop there!). I got them last year for full price, so we'll hiccup around $16 or so. They are cute and go with a lot.. I have worn them down though and they aren't quite the comfortable sandals they used to be. I do put a lot of weight on them though.

So there you have. Quick, easy no fuss outfit. Nothing fancy or super trendy.. but that's okay. Don't feel bad if you don't put a lot into your look... because at least you put SOMETHING into it. Some people really think that pj pants and slippers are okay (not that I haven't been guilty!).

;)

Artsee Time: DIY Steering Wheel Cover

2012-06-18T01:28:00.001-04:00

Okay first thing's first.

I apologize for this tutorial. It's quite rigged together. I honestly had this elaborate plan for it and I kept fudging up every time I attempted execution of making the tutorial. I get into something and just forget all about pictures (if someone wants to donate to the artsee diva video camera fund I wouldn't complain.. then you'd have youtube videos to follow!)

I also want to point out what you will see.. these were pretty much taken with different covers. You'll get the gist of it, and it's quite basic really.

This is MY INTERPRETATION. Last I checked creativity and DIY carried no rules-- that's the beauty of it. Feel free to do things your way if you'd like. This works for me, and I like this style. You can add to it and change what you want.

What we are doing:

We're making a very basic steering wheel cover with exposed elastic. I started this type as an elastic practice project and ended up falling in love with it. I absolutely love making these things... and I'm sorry if you know me, because these will probably be your Christmas, Birthday, Easter and Flag Day gifts :)

Here's the final product that we're going after:

Cute huh? This one is for sale in my etsy store if you're not ready to tackle the sewing machine. You can get one right there ;)

SO the first step to this is to choose your fabric (and if you want to, your lining fabric). I honestly buy the huge bolts of felt-ish material (LOL.. I am sooo teh skillzed at knowing my terms and fabrics). It's dirt cheap, and the pink you'll see me using here cost me 1.00 for TONS of it on sale. I sometimes opt out of lining the covers, it just depends on the original fabric and if I'm going to take to the inside with a puff paint or not :)

So.. you've got your fabric all picked out. Hopefully you're using something thrifty like an old curtain, shirt, sweater or thrifted material. These were for an order so they are not.. but this is a great way to upcycle :)

You're going to want to take the measurement of your wheel all the way around. I make my orders usually around the 37-45 inch sweet spot. You want them to be around 5.5 inches wide. Too wide and they will hide your dash and important information... but not wide enough and they just look silly. Take your wheel into consideration throughout the process. I base my length on how much give the material has. You want it to fit snug, but you don't want it to pop off off in your face (hey.. don't judge me!) while you're driving. If it's not very flexible then you want to get it the full length of your wheel. You're going to be adding elastic, but if it doesn't fit to begin with then it's really not going to fit once you add that fun stuff to it.

Now-- this is me doing things bass ackwards, but I cut everything the same size first and THEN go in and trim my hem out of the lining. You can choose to do this from the get go if you want... but my brain works weird.

I usually take about an inch off of the lining material so that I can center it and have a nice little edge on each side for hems and elastic.

Once this is done, you iron down your hem! The weirdo in me loves the felt sort of material for lining because it melts a tad under the heat and helps to hold things in place for me so I don't have to go pin happy!

Now-- I do all of this in one swoop. It would probably be neater if you double hemmed it to get all the fraying under control and THEN put on the elastic.. but this is how I did these, so you'll have to deal with a not so neat one. It's for family use though and I don't have a problem with my edges once I take some Fray Check to them (don't have pictures of that part, sorry!)

ATTENTION: PRACTICE BEFORE YOU GO ALL OUT WITH YOUR ELASTIC!

Every machine is different. Your tension and settings need to be perfect to achieve the right gathering. Gather some scraps with smaller pieces of elastic to get the right feel before you do this on your final product.

To sew the elastic you want to have a constant pull on it as you let it go through your machine. You don't want to rip your needle, but you also want to give your material some gather as it goes by pulling on your elastic the whole time you are "feeding" it. Let your machine and material guide you as well... don't force it through. If you need further education on sewing elastic, Threadbanger has some killer tutorials on youtube. One simple search and you're on your way.

I don't have pictures of this step.. but all you do is put your right sides together at the end and sew it back and forth a few times to make sure it's secure.. trim down your edges, flip back so you're prettiness is on the outside and do a jig of happiness because you completed your easy peasy lemon breezy steering wheel cover!

...there you have it!

Oh wait---

POST PROJECT MADNESS!!! AHHHH. I'm definitely not a "clean" crafter. My stuff goes flying everywhere and by the time I'm done I'm covered in thread and scraps. I love it and wouldn't have it any other way.

SO I hope this helps. I honestly didn't find very many things online to this regard, so I had to fake it till I made it. One day soon I'll redo this in greater detail.. and then once you guys fund my camera project (tee hee!) I'll do the same in video form.

Leave any questions or comments for me below.. and I'll see you guys soon with another DIY!

(Plus size OOTD coming tomorrow!)

OOTD: Pastel pencil skirt

2012-06-16T18:47:00.001-04:00

Okay-- a little background before we begin.

This skirt is a (very exciting) thrift find from Goodwill. I have plans for this skirt, big plans.. and actually I have a whole series coming up and this is the first of that. I have quite a few thrift finds that I love (of course I do, I purchased them!) and I will be showing you how to style these in a very basic way. Not everyone has an unlimited line of credit or extra paychecks to buy all the hottest trends (myself included) and I feel that basic styling and a few main pieces go a long way.

I give you an office look.

I realize it isn't everyone's cuppa tea and most BBWs that I know will not wear a skirt that isn't loose.. but it's all a process. If you force yourself out of your comfort zone, you'll find out that what you thought to be so comfortable wasn't actually your "limit".

What you have here are some basic pieces. A white shirt with lace sleeves, my thrifted pastel skirt and some black heels.

If you're like me, you don't have an extensive shoe collection. I have about 4 wearable pairs of shoes that aren't my vans-- and even with those I only have 4 pair... so you're looking about a closet of less than 10 pairs of shoes. This is my only pair of black heels but they get the job done. I don't know the name, but I purchased them from Rack Room a few years ago when I had gainful employment that required nice shoes but equally required me to stand all day.

Jewelry I kept minimal. I personally love accessories and will pile them on until the cows come home (moo moo baby!) HOWEVER.. this is South Georgia and it's hot and humid and I wear cheap costume jewelry. That + Sweat is never pretty for my skin, the item or people looking at me.

I did want to show off something that is out of my usual way of styling. It was FREE from my semi annual accessory swap that I host!

It really helps bring in the whole outfit. As you could see from the first photo, I'm wearing a silver snakeskin print belt... so this bracelet and the way the light catches brings in every single color that I had on!

The belt is from Cato on clearance. I believe back when I got it I paid somewhere in the nature of $4.

So.. that was today's look. Very plain for me, but it's classy with a spark of jazzy. It's not everyone's cuppa tea, which means it's perfect for me!

I sewed myself a dress! Hurrah!

2012-05-07T19:09:00.000-04:00

I made myself a little dress yesterday/this morning. I think it came out pretty darn good for me to have never attempted such a project before. I will be making more for sure.. so I think this blog will be seeing a tutorial really soon-- if that is indeed something you would like to see.. let me know in the comments! So.. without further procrastination, here it is. I'm wearing a shrug because I didn't want to hunt down a bra without straps. This dress also has small halter straps that can tuck in (which I have done here) or be worn tied around the neck. I will be doing an OOTD with this dress reallllly soon.. so I promise you will get a good idea of how it looks styled. Ignore the wet hair and no makeup.. I was fresh out of the shower and excited to try it on!

I'm thinking of recreating this fun little jig for the wee ones in the world also!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2012-05-01T19:54:00.000-04:00

with silver bells and... So folks, how's life? Long time no update.. but that seems to be a running theme around these parts. I see all these blogs that are just fixed up like a BOSS.. and I can't quite get there. I want everything under one roof and that's hard to do you know? Anyway.. so, new news.. I'm starting my first ever GARDEN. Yup. I'm getting my fat behind out in the yard for some manual labor and I'm gonna grow me some clean, fresh organic goods. As of now I'm still in the digging/weeding/grassing part.. but I do have a before picture to show you, and then hopefully tomorrow I'll have a "area dug up and ready for planting" picture.. and then well, you get the idea ;)

and of course... my kiddo cutting first ground

So anyway.. we're gonna plant some fun stuff.. and we got gifted a whole ton of herbs, so I will be posting up a list of everything we plant and whatnot along with photos... hopefully soon!

Photoshop 101: Basic Fire Effect

2012-04-04T15:10:00.000-04:00

I have completed my first screen capture tutorial. You can view it over on my youtube channel! Feedback is appreciated :)

Man I got that swag: Swagbucks

2012-03-05T11:41:00.000-05:00

I'm late on the train, I admit.. but I'm loving Swagbucks. It's nothing that happens instantly.. but I know that in a few days of casual searching I have earned a pretty exciting amount. I'll continue to save mine until I can do a usable giftcard.. but hey, its' a great side egg.

Don't let it scare you away.. it's not a gimmick. It's got things you can do to enhance your earnings.. but I use it as my search engine.. and I win at least 3 times a day. So... go, now!

FashionistaDiva: A New Project

2012-03-05T11:34:00.001-05:00

Hiya folks.

So.. I've been gone awhile-- but you know, life happens.. so there's your reason. I've survived my kid's 7th ( sad face ) birthday.. and now that we're home and returning to normal I've got many things on the horizon! I've got a accessory swap coming up in a few weeks... and then next month is the REN FAIRE! This means too much work for me though :) I've got to make at the minimum 3 costumes.. one for my mother, one for my son, and of course.. I gotta look fly too.

On top of those things, I'm also in the process of job hunting for a part time job.. trying to go back to school.. and I'm working on a tshirt quilt for a friend of mine!

So basically-- because I don't have enough things going on.. I've decided to add one more.

Stylist.

It's always something that has been interesting to me, and throughout my time working in the retail fashion industry.. it was always my favorite and most successful aspect of the job.

I'm starting small, but I'm going to be styling for a portfolio soon... then I'll move into events. I *think* I'm going to go to school and get my cosmetology license.. then I can offer full-fledged makeovers!

I've got plans after that for film, which is my passion... but we're taking baby steps.. and these are the ones that are the easiest to transition to right now.

Excitement!

I'm going to be posting some outfits up online using polyvore-- so once I figure out how I'm going to do so (tumblr, etc).. I will put a post up as to where you can find the samples! :)

Losing ALL the weight.. or trying?

2012-01-16T22:50:00.000-05:00

So, I've been on this journey to a new me-- or some craziness such as that. I actually have a blog dedicated to it that is a joint effort with my friend Kim. We're doing it together. Perhaps I'll give you the link to that in a bit.. but I just thought I'd take a minute to share my "progress".

I guess I should start off by saying that I'm following a non-diet, diet. I'm really not making many adjustments.. because, well.. let's be real. I know. me. I will fail an epic fail of failures and I WILL

(picture source: http://memecrunch.com/meme/5RU/eat-all-the-food/image.png)

So.. given the fact that I know I will shape shift into a mama pig-- I'm still eating what I want.. I just say no sometimes. Being broke probably helps, because I stretch one or two meals out for a whole day and really eat tiny snacks if any at all.. so it's not quite the way I *want* to eat for weight loss.. but for now it must do.

I'm not going to post all of the minor details, because like I said.. it's laid out in a blog already.. and why type things twice-- that may actually exercise my fingers, and I already completed my Jillian Michaels for the night.

So far I've lost 6 inches off of my stomach.. and roughly 3 from my hips.. most of my other stats haven't moved much, so those are the noteworthy ones. The thing is.. I can't really tell. Some of my pants fall down when I walk-- but I've always had that problem because I have a big white girl butt, but I think some of it is related to the inches lost. I also can now fit into our patio chair that I couldn't get into without pain before. It still cuts into my fatness.. but hey.. I can sit in it so GLORY BE!

So.. anyway, this isn't crafty.. it isn't well written.. it's just a note. A note to say that I'm trying, and even thought people will judge me, doubt me and say what they may.. I'm doing it for me, not them..

DANGIT.

With that said.. I must go craft onward.

I promise I have some more crafty things coming soon!!

<3 Ash

OOTD? Sure!

2012-01-09T11:58:00.002-05:00

So.. I really don't want to go on a rant as to why I feel lately, I have to defend the fact that I'm fat yet I don't wear sweats all day and eat ho ho's.. so.. that, mixed with the many requests I get on various social networks for pictures of some of my outfits-- I have decided to oblige.

I don't know how regular I will do this.. but I'd like to do it quite frequently for no reason other than it's an easy post that lets me kill a little bit of my boredom.

So.. here I am-- going.................. grocery shopping !

Oh yeah, so glam. Actually.. this is pretty darn casual for me. I'm not wearing much jewelry, and .... no makeup.

Gasp.

Alright internet world.

Casual Ash. Going grocery shopping. Practical... yet, A step up from th e sweats (hey.. the sweat pants DO exist.. and maybe one day I will feature the epic greantess that is my goodwill sweat pants).

The ring is from a flea market I think-- it was given to me in any case. The earrings are Claire's. Bag is Forever 21. Boots, I got for like 2.00 on a Claire's clearance.. yeah. Anyway. There it is in all it's glory. I probably would have put on makeup, had I planned to actually let the world see me.. but the photos were an after-thought.. so there.

Huuuyah!

Coming Up:

We swapped till we dropped.. check ours out and find out how you can throw a no budget party that gets you "new" stuff!

My no/low budget porch makeover. I did mine with things I had-- what can you do?

Artsee Time: Brown Sugar Scrub

2012-01-08T14:31:00.001-05:00

Ooooh man, the epic failure that I am is just horrendous! I promised the Brown Sugar Scrub a few days ago and still have yet to deliver-- welll...

Here it is!

What you'll need:

Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Vanilla (Almond would be even better.. but this was all on hand stuff), Olive Oil, a measuring type of contraption, a spoon and a jar or something for your scrub to go in.

This is the easiest thing in the world, literally.
Equal parts of the Sugars. I actually do a LITTLE less white sugar, but you don't have to.
Then you want to pour enough of the oil to lubricate your solution. I let mine run down slowly as seen here:

You will also add your vanilla/almond extract into it. This is primarily for smell.

Then you mix it up-- mine was a little too soupy, so I added a little more sugar!

Voila! Presto magic!!

I use this now instead of my much more expensive brown sugar scrub that I was getting at a local discount store (it closed, so this is probably a good thing that I have this now).

I do recommend when making it for yourself to keep your batches smaller. This will last me about 2 weeks.. and that's about as long as you'd want to keep it handy before ditching it.

The great thing about this is that it's completely natural, and if I had the money I would have used all farmer's market items-- but you know, we be broke 'round these parts-- so I buy generic instead :D

Enjoy this excellent gift to someone you love, or to yourself!!

Kiddie Corner: A Book That's Worth It.

2012-01-05T01:24:00.000-05:00

"Sometimes it's better not to go fast,

There are beautiful sights to be seen when you're last.

Shouldn't it be that you just try your best?

And that's more important than beating the rest?

Shouldn't it be looking back at the end

that you judge your own race by the help that you lend?"

Hellllooo Blogaverse!

I just had to drop in for a moment and share with you the title of one of the warmest children's books I've ever read. Now, I will admit that we don't visit the library as much as we should. The child is pretty content with his collection at home that consists of a little of everything; but we love to go to the bookstore. I purchased a book awhile back in my days of being able to spend money (ala employmentland) and it has been a favorite of his ever since. I think I paid about $5.00 for it.. and I'm actually shocked that it wasn't more.

The book?

It's something that you need to pick up.. don't check it out, just own it. It's a pleasant reminder, even for adults.. about the simplicity of life and humanity.

Oh & tomorrow I will be posting up something I made today.. it's a brown sugar scrub and oooooo la la my face feels as fresh as a baby's.. er.. face?? I started to put it up today, but I wanted to try it out first!

It's a great, cheap alternative to my expensive addiction-- but I'll tell you guys more about it tomorrow!

GO GET THAT BOOK!

Until next time..

xoxo Ash

Artsee Time: Scrapbook Coasters

2012-01-03T23:07:00.000-05:00

Whats up all my lovely blogeoples!? <-- That's not even a cool made up word, kinda sad really. I'll do better, I gotta do better than that.

Here's a quick little, CHEAP project for you to do. It makes a fantastical gift, or something nice to brighten up your own abode.

It's... drumroll---------------------------------

COASTERS! WQOOOOOOWEOIUDFOGDJHGSOI!!!!
So exiciting right???

Okay.. so anyway, 12 year old girl typing aside-- here's your supply list.

Modge Podge
Scissors
Tile squares (literally >$1 at Lowe's!)
Paintbrush type of thing
Ruler of sorts
Marking tool
Paint (optional)
Decorative paper (or newspaper, ticket stubs, stickers.. whatever you want to use as your "coaster")
Felt or cork for the bottom of the tile

...and the photo proof that those are what you need!

Now.. as far as directions go, it's pretty simple. You measure your paper (being mindful of the actual image that will be on your coaster) to fit your tile piece. My tile was actually a teeeeeensy bit larger than 4x4. I wanted a slight lip around my paper because I chose a tile color that coordinated, so I decided to cut mine 4x4.

I do need to add here though, that if you want to paint a rim around your coaster now is the time to do it. I didn't take pictures of it, but I chose to paint a brown trim on the raw edges. The best part about this coated tile is that if you are fast with it, you can wipe it right off to get a clean finish.

Okay, so you're painted up and ready to rock and roll. What you want to do next is to coat your paper on the back with your Modge Podge and place it down.. then you want to coat the top as well. This is the part that would make having one of those scrapbooking rollers handy-- but I don't have one so I left that out :P

Awesome. Do that another time or two, until you are satisfied with your coating (I did a healthy coat the first time so I didn't need to do it twice)...

Now.. once it's dry, add your stoppers on the bottom. I will be E6000'ing some felt to the bottom because I forgot to do that.

Rock on crafty craftersons.. Rock On.