Questionable Logic

Birchbox November 2013

2013-11-21T11:08:00.001-06:00

Hi all! It's time for another Birchbox reveal! I received November's box a couple weeks ago, so my apologies for the lateness of the post!
Here's what I received this month!

yayyyy fresh birchbox!

Alright, first up is the WEI Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask (Full Size price: $42)
I will start off by saying I love masks, but this one didn't really do it for me. The part I love most about masks is when you take it off and your skin feels tight, clean, refreshed and healthy. While this mud mask did make my skin feel nice, it didn't quite give me exactly what I was looking for. I will say, however, that this is the first soft mud mask I've ever done, so maybe that is why. It's just not what I'm used to. They also didn't provide a brush, and they recommend you use a brush to paint it on. Well, I would have just used a foundation brush, but I do not have one anymore (need to pick up a newbie) and I'm not about to use my acrylic paint brushes, so I used my fingers. So it could be that was the reason for not getting the full effect? I don't know. I'm done making excuses for the damn thing though. It's ALRIGHT. That's all I'm going to say on it.

Next up are the Mighty Leaf tea pouches (Full Size: $9.95)
I am a coffee girl, and rarely ever drink tea, however Shane does, so I have given these to him to try and will report back once he does! The flavors do sound delicious, though, and I'm glad they included three different types of tea.

Next is the Joie Folle de Joie eau de parfum (Full Size: $98)
I LOVE this scent. It is exactly the type of perfume I would pick out on my own. The aroma is a mixture of mandarin, rose, and sandalwood, which I love. Sandalwood and rose are two of my favorite fragrances out there, so I'm glad they're both incorporated in this perfume. Lovely sample, very happy with it!!

I am super excited about this Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil (Full Size: $18)
I have been wanting to experiment with some light highlighting and contouring lately, so I was ecstatic when I received this in the November BBox. It's a nice, smooth chunky pencil, and I have tried it a couple times, adding some subtle highlight to my nose and brows, and I could definitely see a difference. I am going to do some more experimenting with this, and hopefully get some photos along the way!

Next up is the WEI Pomegranate Buffing Beads (Full Size: $20)
These things are so weird to me, and I'm not quite sure what I should do with them. They are buffing beads that are meant to add into your regular face cleanser to turn it into a scrub to brighten and declog skin. The problem I have with this is... my face cleanser already has those beads in it for exfoliating, so why would I add more? I certainly don't want to buy another brand of face cleanser just to get two uses out of it with these packets, so I don't really know how to review these. They're weird, that's all I can say.

And last, but not least, I've got the BeeKind Body Lotion (Full size: $15)
This honey & chamomile-based lotion isn't amazing by any means, but there's nothing wrong with it either. It's pretty much just like any other lotion I've got lying around. It does smell nice, and doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy. I will definitely keep using it, it's always nice to have a little purse sized lotion to take with you. :)

Well, that's it for this month! Adios, Makeup addicts!

Q & A W/ AMAZING Make-Up Artist Chelsea Still!

2013-11-15T11:20:00.001-06:00

Hello, fellow make-up addicts! I recently had a chance to get in touch with an incredibly talented Make-Up Artist, as well as my lovely acquaintance, Miss Chelsea Still, and ask her a lot of the questions about make-up that others like me have been needing to know. Well, I've got all of her answers in one spot, so settle in and have your brushes at the ready!

(When you're done reading, be sure to check out some of Chelsea's CRAZY amazing beauty and special effects makeup photos at her site WWW.Wix.Com/ChelseaStill/ChelseaStill )

Who you is, gurl? What yo name?:

Heeeeeyyyyyyyyyy gurl…My name is Chelsea Still…that’s who I am.

What’s your makeup story? How did you get into makeup artistry and what would you ultimately like to be doing?

Oh god, I was such a nerd when I was younger. My best friend, who also happened to be my neighbor, was equally as weird and nerdy as I was. We would get into our parents' old clothes and dress up and put the most god-awful makeup on our faces and prance around our neighborhood…we would literally have orange faces…it was scary. I would always make my friends let me put makeup on them…it was something fun but not anything I ever thought about doing as a career.

When I was 18 years old, I started managing a Halloween store in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I did that for about 5 years and got really passionate about the horror makeup. I loved horror movies growing up--sneaking off and watching scary movies with my dad even though I was WAY too young-- and blood & gore always excited me. I definitely wasn't a girly girl, that’s for sure. It never occurred to me that you could live somewhere and make a living by doing this amazing, creative and fun makeup.

When I was 20, my house flooded and I found myself homeless and broke. I took a job in Alaska at a fish cannery and busted my ass and became mentally and financially ready to go to school. I chose to go to Makeup Designory (MUD) in Burbank. I moved to LA by myself without ever visiting and began the most amazing adventure of my life. I spent the last 5 years working in special effects labs, working on films, photo shoots, commercials, doing makeup for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and just having fun and finally feeling like I had found what I was meant to be doing.

My ultimate goal is to get back out to Los Angeles, find a lab to work in and just do art and makeup. To have a job that I genuinely enjoy waking up for every day and would gladly work 90 hours a week doing.

Did your Special Effects makeup training influence your normal makeup in any way? If so, how?

There's a lot of highlighting and shadowing that you use in SPFX makeup in order for the look to be dramatic and to stand out, I carried that over to my beauty makeup routine but dulled it down a bit. Highlighting and shadowing your features is a great way to make things stand out, disappear, or look different.

What products do you swear by?

Ocean Salt Cleanser from LUSH Cosmetics or Volcanic AshExfoliator from MAC – a properly cleansed and exfoliated face is important to help your makeup last longer and apply evenly.

Painterly Eye Primer from MAC, oh goodness, my eyeshadow will stay on for DAYS when using the proper eye primer.

Soft and Gentle Skin Finish from MAC for a beautiful shimmery highlight, I wear this every single day!

In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Mascara from MAC, gives length, volume AND curl and has an absolutely amazing wand on it that grabs and coats every lash for amazing, flexible all day mascara.

Are there any drugstore brands that you recommend over pricier versions?

As far as foundations go I don’t recommend drugstore brands. I think its worth spending a little extra money for a foundation that’s made for your skin type, tone and color. I always love trying out new eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks though, especially if there's a great sale!

Monistat Chafing Powder Gel is JUST like the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer for a fraction of the price. Seriously, try it!!

(Meagan here, this is actually very exciting, because I LOVE the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and just ran out a few weeks ago, and was dreading the idea of spending $36 on it. I cannot wait to try this!)

What are your most critical makeup tips?

I cannot stress enough how important prepping and priming your skin is to the outcome of your makeup. Exfoliating and moisturizing before bed and then again when you wake up is a great habit to get into. Blending is also key to makeup. Blend, blend, blend, blend! I can’t say it enough!

What types of concealers are best for covering up blemishes/red spots/dark under eye bags? Any product recommendations?

I’m a sucker for MAC’s Pro Longwear Concealer. Its got amazing coverage and it's long wearing, I never have to touch it up throughout the day! Everybody has different skin types tho so what works best for myself may not be the best for you. Color correction is really important for really covering up imperfections.

When trying to cover up a red spot or blemish you should use a green corrector, the green will neutralize the red.

When trying to cover up dark under eye circles or birth marks you want to use an orange corrector. The Orange will neutralize the purple/blue in the skin.

After using a corrector, set with a translucent powder and then apply your concealer and/or foundation on top.

How can thin lipped girls like me create natural looking, fuller lips?

You’ll want to start off by finding the proper lip liner color that suits your coloring the best, everybody is different! I like to hold the lip liner at an angle and apply it starting at the center of the lip and lightly filling in my natural shape, top and bottom lip. Then you can just add onto the shape, little by little, to correct or enlarge your lips.

Use a light colored concealer to line around your new shape to give a slight highlight and pop a tiny bit of gloss onto the center of your bottom lip to give a “pouty” lip appearance.

I have tons of freckles, and though I love to let them be, there are times when I’d like to cover them all up and have a smooth, clear face. Are there any ways I can do this without layering on foundation and concealer?

A common misunderstanding I always come across is the thought that full coverage = thick and heavy makeup. It doesn't have to be that way! MAC has Studio Fix Liquid Foundation and Makeup Forever makes HD Foundation that both are full coverage and have a BEAUTIFUL matte finish to them. This makeup is so pigmented that you really need such a small amount of makeup to get the coverage you want or need. You can even mix in a little primer or moisturizer if you want to sheer it out more.

In my opinion, eyebrows are so important to the outcome of your look. Do you have any brow tips?

I look back at pictures of myself before and I'm amazed that it took me so long to learn how to properly fill in my eyebrows. I fell in love with the Lingering Eyebrow Pencil from MAC. It’s a soft brown pencil that stays on all day.

-To start filling in your brow, you gotta find the best starting point. To do this, hold your brow pencil or brush up so that one end lines up with the edge of your nostril and the other lines up with the inside corner of your eye. The extension of the brush into your brow is where your brow should start.

-To find the ending point of your brow hold your pencil or brush up so that one end lines up with the edge of your nostril and the other lines up with the outside corner of your eye. The extension of this line into your brow is where your eyebrow should end.

-To create the arch in your brow, use your pencil or brush again. Line the pencil up with the corner of your nostril and the very center of your eye. The place in your brow that the end of the pencil hits (or would hit if it were long enough) is where your arch should be.

-Choose a powder (for more natural brows) or a pencil/gel (for more defined brows) in the color that’s most appropriate for you

-“connect the dots” and make an outline of your desired brow shape using your guidelines mentioned above. Don’t fill in the brows yet, just make the outline – top shape, tail and bottom of brows. Lightly color in the brows, starting at the tail and working lighter as you work your way in. Finish off with a clear brow gel and you have some nice brows!

What makeup do you find goes best with green/blue/brown eyes?

Shades of purple will make green eyes really pop and stand out since it’s a contrasting color, same with orange tones on blue eyes. I really love using purples on brown eyes a well because it will pull out the natural green tones in the eye. I love bronze and golds on any eye color. Its always nice to have a color wheel accessible so you can see what will work best with your eye color. Look at the wheel, find your eye color, and find the color that is opposite of your eye color. The opposite color will help make your eye color stand out the most!

What’s the best way to use foundation & powder? How does one avoid the “caked-on” look? Do you have any foundations/powders that you recommend?

I like to apply my foundation lightly with a brush. After I have the foundation applied I take a big fluffy brush with my chosen powder and lightly press (not rub) the powder onto my face. This keeps the powder light and soft and will help to set the liquid foundation. I also like to finish off with spraying my face with Fix + Spray from MAC. The spray helps to hydrate the powder and make it appear more natural, not so much like a powder sitting on the face. You can use translucent powders or lightweight sheer powders if you don’t want to add more coverage or alter the color of your foundation.

What types of brushes do you use on a regular basis, and where on your face do you use each one? Any brush tips?

These are all MAC brushes so ill be using the numbers for the brushes. You can look all of these up online to see exactly what I'm talking about.

For moisturizer, primer and liquid foundation - #159 or #188. Both duo-fiber brushes. I love these brushes because they pick up a small amount of product and really feather/buff the product into your skin. They don’t leave your foundation looking streaky and they are the perfect sizes to be able to work around the eyes and nose easily.

For powder - #134 or #150. The #150 is a much fluffier powder brush, applies your powder light and soft. The #134 is a denser, firmer brush and allows for more product to be applied. This is great for when you want a heavier powder or more coverage. #168 is my favorite blush brush. Its soft and fluffy and just perfect.

For eyes - #217 IS MY FAVORITE!! It’s a fluffy brush that is amazing for softly applying colors in your crease. The #224 is the perfect blending brush. I never put product on this one, I simply use it to blend blend blend! #230 is great for packing on colors. It’s a flatter, more dense brush that picks up more product. Great for the lid. #210 is my go-to brush for gel eyeliners. Its not too short, not too long and not to thick. Just perfect!

A lot of people make a big fuss about spending money on brushes…but honestly….these brushes are your tools. You want beautiful makeup? You need the proper tools to apply your makeup! You can't expect to have a Kim Kardashian face when you use your fingers to apply your makeup. Brushes are an investment and when taken care of properly can last you YEARS, and I mean YEARS. I shampoo my brushes once a month with a gentle baby shampoo. I squirt a dime size amount into my hand and twirl my brush, gently, in a circular motion in the shampoo. Do this underneath warm water until the water runs clear. Then lay your brush on its side to allow it to dry. I also clean my personal brushes once a week with a brush cleaner to help condition the bristles and keep them clean and free of bacteria.

What makeup rules are vital to you?

If you are planning on being in front of a camera, taking a lot of pictures, or somewhere that has a lot of bright lighting- don’t be afraid to make yourself a LITTLE darker than you usually are. I'm serious when I say a little, I'm not telling you guys to go out and give yourselves orange faces, but it is a good idea to take into account bright lights and flashes from cameras that will make you appear a little more pale than you look in real life. Not sure how you look on camera? Take a picture with a digital camera or your phone with the flash on and see if your face matches your body!

Proper skincare and a good primer, even though its not makeup, will have a HUGE effect on your makeup.

I’ll say it again, BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!!!!

If you were only allowed to use 1 makeup product for a day, what would you pick and why?

Oh wow, that’s quite the question. I think I would have to chose “Have A Lovely Day! Lip & Cheek color from MAC. It’s a beautiful mauve/berry crème color and gives a beautiful healthy pop of color to the lips and cheeks, even on the eyes if you want it.

What are primers, and why are they important?

I like to think of primers as double sided tape. The one side is clinging onto your skin, while the other side grabs onto your makeup. Primers help to hydrate the skin, allow the makeup to be applied smoothly and more evenly, and helps make the makeup last all day long.

What would you recommend for someone who wants a quick but effective makeup routine?

I really love Studio Fix Foundation Powders from MAC for people who want to be quicker in their makeup routine. It has a compartment for a disc sponge and gives you the same coverage as a liquid foundation, but you can easily throw it in your purse and run out the door. If you prefer liquid foundation then Matchmaster from MAC is amazing. As it oxidizes on your skin it will change color to match your color. It also allows your natural skin tone to shine through so youll never look too pink or too yellow. Find a nice soft blush color for your cheeks and your eyes to give a nice amount of color to the face from just one product. Throw on some mascara and lip gloss and you have a super quick 5 minute makeup!

What is your preferred order of application/skin care routine?

When I start my makeup routine every day, I start with my skin care. I'll exfoliate, moisturize and prime my skin. I then will move on to my eyes. The reason I do this is because your skin needs a good 10-15 minutes to really soak up and absorb all that moisturizer and primer you’ve just applied. Going straight to your foundation is just going to mix your products all together on top of your skin. Another reason I love doing my eyes next is because after you’ve done your eye shadow, if you have made any sort of mess on your face (it happens to all of us) then you can easily clean it off without messing up any existing foundation. When I do my eyes I prime first with my painterly paint pot, then apply my eye shadow. After I’m done with my eye shadow I move on to my concealer, then foundation, then powder. After applying the powder I like to move onto highlighting and contouring with powders ( If you prefer to use creams or liquids to highlight and contour then do that BEFORE your foundation) I add blush next and blend all together, then spray and set with fix plus. After that I draw in eyebrows, add eyeliner and finish off with mascara. I wait to do the eyeliner after foundation just so that it stays fresh and dark. I always do my lips last so they look nice and crisp and juicy!

How did you get into the business, as well as any tips and tricks for getting started.

Practicing your artistry is so important as a makeup artist. There are always new trends and styles that you can learn and perfect. Take pictures of every single makeup you do, even if it isn't the best thing you’ve ever done. It's good to have pictures to look back and compare to be able to see how far you’ve grown as an artist. Make a website! I made a Wix website. It's nothing fancy, but it’s a place for me to put pictures of my work and information about myself so when I apply for jobs and gigs, I can send them a link so they are able to see my work right away. It makes you look a lot more professional than giving somebody your Facebook or Instagram account.

I learned a lot from makeup school but there are also many artists who are always looking for interns/apprentices and can help teach you and help you understand the business side of makeup. YouTube is a great tool too for learning new tips and techniques. Every artist is different and has something new to teach you so don’t ever stop learning and growing!! Model Mayhem is also a great website to network through and to find photographers and models in your area looking to work!

And last but not least, would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?

Are we going by prison rules? Street rules? Well….I would battle 100 duck-sized horses, seems easier to kick and stomp and attack them all…maybe try to tame one of them to be my new pet...where the horse-sized duck could do some serious quick damage to any part of my body….and would probably take some seriously nasty shits.

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THANK YOU, CHELSEA! I think I can speak for all of us when I say WE APPRECIATE when the experts take the time to let those of us who aren't as experienced learn the proper way to apply makeup!

To view Chelsea's work, please visit

www.Wix.com/ChelseaStill/ChelseaStill

You can also view Chelsea's INSTAGRAM and Facebook by clicking the corresponding links.

What Would I Say?

2013-11-14T15:30:00.001-06:00

So, apparently a few Princeton grads made up an app for fun where you login to facebook, and it generates status updates for you as if you were a robot. It's pretty fun if you're bored and have a few minutes to kill, I've definitely come up with a few winners.

Go here to start generating your own! What Would I Say?

Here are some gems that came up when I did this.
Enjoy!

Halloweiners

2013-11-06T15:21:00.001-06:00

Soo... I realized I hadn't told all of you about what we did on Halloween, and man do I have some exciting stories to tell you! (*sarcasm alert*)
Basically, Halloween was kind of a bust this year. As I stated in a previous post, my costume plans fell through a couple times, and I had plans to do a last minute costume...well, I posted that, then went to start working on said costume, and part of that included spray painting stripes onto a t-shirt. As I was trimming off the tape, I cut a big ol' hole in the shirt.
I was devastated and had a mini panic because I had nothing to wear when we went out (looking back, I laugh about this because it was so irrelevant.) So, I frantically hit up Google for some SUPER DUPER last minute ideas. I didn't find much, so I thought I'd try my hand at making a pretty masquerade mask to wear with my fancy black lace dress. That worked out great... until I cut the eye-holes. They were just a little bit too far apart and slightly uneven. I didn't have the mental patience or the willpower to do it again. I was about to give up completely, when I thought about trying my hand at costume makeup. Nothing fancy.
I scoured the internet for ideas that were simple enough for someone like me to pull off, and found a few really adorable ones! My creative juices started flowing again, and I ultimately made a decision to still wear my fancy black dress, but do porcelain doll makeup instead and curled all of my hair into little ringlets (THIS TOOK FOREVERRRRR and I have super fine, thin hair. I do not pretend to know how you ladies with lots and lots of thick hair manage to curl all of it. Maybe I'm just a weakling.)
Here is my porcelain doll face makeup (phone pic quality, sorry.):

And that's not makeup all above my eyebrows, that's just how my forehead creases when I raise my eyebrows. I might even be the only one who notices it, but it drives me nuts.

Basically, I did my moisturizer/primer/bb cream routine, then i used the lightest powder I could find last-minute at Walgreens (we checked the Halloween store, and they did not have ANYTHING! wtf!) and patted that all over my face, blending into my neck. Then, I filled in my brows and put concealer over my lips so that they would blend in with the rest of my face, more or less. Then, I put on liquid liner and applied my fake lashes, did the rest of my eye makeup and finished with another coat of the liquid liner over the fake lash line so that it blended in better. Then, i made the little bow lips over mine, paying attention to the cupid's bow (middle of your top lip) and sort of creating the shape of a heart with a rounded bottom. To finish it off, i did a circle of pink blush on the apples of each of my cheeks, and I was all done!

So, I finished up my look, and Shane went with his go-to pirate costume, I whipped up an eye-patch for him, and we hit the town. Only to realize that all of our friends were working that night. We wound up going to a local hookah bar, Swing State. I had never been before, and Shane assured me we'd have a good time. Oh how wrong he was. It wasn't that Swing State isn't a good place to hang out, (because I actually did enjoy the band, or at least the song or two that I heard while I was there) but it was filled with 17 year old hipsters and it tiny and it was PACKED.
We made an effort to enjoy ourselves... for about ten minutes. We both are prone to anxiety attacks in situations like these, although he has it much worse than I do. He started to feel super anxious, so we walked right back out of there. We discussed going out to a bar, but without having anyone to meet up with, it seemed kinda silly to pay for alcohol and talk to each other when we can go home and drink for free. So, we went home, and both of our stomachs started to get sour, so we changed out of our costumes and got into PJs by 10PM and called it an early night.
I. FEEL. SO. OLD.

Hope your Halloween was a million times better!

Early Birthday Beauty Haul!

2013-11-05T14:31:00.000-06:00

Hello fellow Makeup addicts!

As you guys know, Shane is basically amazing (yes, I am a lucky girl!), and he completely outdid himself this year. He got me an early birthday present from SEPHORA! I had pointed out the Sephora Favorites Super Stars set from this year that I was drooling over, and he ordered it early for me so that it wouldn't be sold out from the holiday buyers. You KNOW I could not wait to open that sucker when it arrived, and I IMMEDIATELY took pictures so I could start trying the products out ASAP! So here is my Sephora haul and a brief review of the products. I will be doing full reviews + pictures of each product and posting them individually for a more in-depth look.

Full Super Stars set

Alright, first up is the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner. I love liquid liner, and it wound up being perfect that this was included in the set, because I had just run out of my old liquid liner when it arrived! I've already used this several times and can't rave about it more. It glides on so nicely, I have been able to get my winged eye on the first try a lot more often, which is a HUGE plus, because that is my go-to eye look.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Rollerball: This perfume is super nostalgic for me. It smells EXACTLY like that So Pink perfume that Gap made (do they still make it?) and reminds me of high school, when every other girl smelled like this. I don't dislike it, by any means, it just brings back those days of wandering the mall. :)

This was another thing I was really excited about and have also used several times since I received it. The Anastasia Clear Brow Gel. In the last few months, I have started filling in my brows and haven't gotten around to buying a clear brow gel. I love this stuff, it is totally clear of course, but it makes my brows look a lot neater and holds them in place all day!

This is the Deborah Lippmann Treatment-infused Nail Color in Cleopatra in New York. I am actually currently wearing this over some black nail polish and I might never take it off. I am completely in love with this polish. As a glitter fiend, I appreciate a good glitter polish that doesn't take a million coats to have the effect you're going for. I swiped this on over my black base coat ONCE and it looks gorgeous. Highly recommend this polish! It also looks great on it's own because it isn't completely clear.

I was also super pumped about receiving my first two NARS products! The first of which is this Nars Blush & Bronzing Powder Duo in Orgasm & Laguna. I have heard nothing but great things about NARS Orgasm blush, so of course I couldn't wait to try that. And I have to say, it is perfect. I love pinky blushes, and this went on beautifully. Doesn't look overly pink, and has a shimmer that doesn't make you look like you slapped some glitter on your face. Laguna is also great, I've used it once or twice so far, and it does give a nice light bronzy glow to my fair cheeks without looking ruddy or too dark.

close-up of the NARS blusher/bronzer

outer packaging

Next up is the Origins GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff. I have used this a couple times after I've moisturized before bed and definitely have noticed a difference. Our sleep schedules have been super wonky for the last few months, so some days the bags under my eyes are darker than usual. This cream has noticeably helped brighten and de-puff. I love it! It's also super light and sinks into the skin fast without feeling greasy or heavy.

A look at the inside of the eye cream.

This is the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil. I've been on the fence about trying this for the last few years, because I've heard mixed reviews. I tried it just yesterday, and so far, I really like it. You can use it on your hair, nails, skin, feet...etc.
One of the negative reviews I saw was that it makes your hair look greasy, and I couldn't disagree more. I'm willing to bet whoever wrote that review just used a bit too much. And if you add too much oil to your hair... well, yeah, it's going to look oily. My hair naturally gets oily very quickly, and I didn't find that the Argan oil made it feel anything like that. I put 2 drops in my hands and rubbed them together to warm the oil, then ran my hands through my hair after showering and letting my clean hair air-dry. Before I put the oil on, my hair was clean, but a little dry and frizzy. A few minutes later, it felt so soft and looked shiny (NOT greasy!) and I couldn't stop touching it!

This is the Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin & Mushroom. It was no surprise to me that I'd like this, mostly because I already own the Sin eyeshadow and use it almost every day. Of course I was happy to receive more, in fact, I had just started to get down to the bottom of the tin, so this arrived at the perfect time! I was anxious to try the Mushroom color, because I have to be super careful about dark shadows. I have super light skin and small eyelids, and if I use a shadow that's too dark, or accidentally use a bit too much of it, it will look like I just got socked in the eye. Mushroom turned out to be a perfect dark color for me. It is heavily pigmented, but a little bit goes a very long way. I have been putting Sin in the inner corner of my eyelid and using Mushroom on the outer corner, and I love the way it blends together. Awesome for an evening look.

Opened tin.

Close-up of Sin/Mushroom

Next up is the Nars Lipstick in Dolce Vita. Apologies for the state of this lipstick. I promise it did not arrive like this. In my excitement of taking these photos and moving the makeup around, I forgot to screw down the lipstick and went to put the cap on, and it took a small chunk out of the top of the lipstick. Whoops! No big deal though. This definitely isn't a color I would normally pick out. Nudey-pink colors like this usually look awful on my teensy lips. This lipstick looks great, though. Of course. It brings out the pinkness of my lips without making them look too shiny (which I hate). It goes perfectly with my everyday makeup, which is great, because most of my lipsticks are red and much more bold, and most of the time I don't feel like dealing with the upkeep of red lipstick.

This was another product I was on the fence about. Also heard mixed reviews. I like it a lot, but I can also see why some people don't like it. This is the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray that you can spray into your damp or dry hair to achieve that whole tousled, beachy look. I tried it once in my damp hair and once in my dry hair to see which I thought worked better. For me, it was the dry hair. When I sprayed it into my damp hair and scrunched it, it didn't really give me the effect I wanted, it just kind of tangled my hair up and made it sticky and I ended up creating a lot of split ends brushing it out later. HOWEVER, I used it on my dry hair that already has a natural wave to it, and it gave me some volume (which I NEED) and definitely made the waves more defined gave my hair some body as well. I would recommend trying this on your damp hair and your dry hair before you decide you don't like it, because I think it has a lot to do with your hair type. And maybe it really just isn't for some of you. But I will continue to use it when I want to add some extra oomph to my dry hair. :)

This is the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35 in Light. I am a newbie to BB cream, so I actually googled how to apply them to make sure I was doing it right (haha). Basically, you can either use this as a concealer, a highlighter, and a foundation all in one. I have been using it as a foundation because it gives great coverage and moisturizes my skin (I still use moisturizer though). It also doesn't feel heavy like a foundation, it goes on more like a moisturizer. I love this! It's great if you still want coverage and a nice healthy glow to your face without putting on tons of makeup.

This and the product below are a two-part mascara duo called Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Mascara Base & Top Coat and oz Too Faced Flexistretch™ Nylon Fibers. I am also a newbie to the whole nylon fibers thing, and it is sooooo weird to me. I had no idea what to expect, really.
First, you curl your lashes, then you take the gold tube (pictured above) and swipe your base coat of mascara on. Next you take the white tube (pictured below) and swipe on some of the nylon fibers. Then, you use the gold tube again and swipe on a top coat of the mascara. I was skeptical about this at first, because I thought the fibers would come off into my eye or make my eyelashes clumpy, and that couldn't be further from the truth.
I don't quite understand how this even works yet, but it does. my eyelashes looked beautiful and not clumpy at all. I will definitely be doing an individual post about this mascara pretty early on, mainly because it is fascinating to me.
There is a pro and a con that are one in the same though... it stays on your lashes REALLY REALLY well. Which means two things... A) It's going to last all day and look gorgeous, and B) It can be a pain in the ass to get off your lashes later. I still love it and that doesn't turn me away by any means, but that is the reason I don't buy waterproof mascara. I hate how much more difficult it is to get off.

nylon fiber tube

I absolutely love the freebies from Sephora! Here's what I came away with this time...
Givenchy Very Irresistable Perfume Sample
Jimmy Choo Flash Perfume Sample
Marchesa Perfume Sample
Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer Sample in Park Avenue Princess
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion + Sample
Clinique Spot Healing Gel Sample

I also snagged a couple more cheapy things I wanted to try out...
Sephora Creamy Body Wash Caps in Toffee, Green Tea & Cotton Flower (for $1.00 apiece)
& Sephora Nano Eyeliner in Emerald Green

I just used the Cotton Flower body wash yesterday and LOVED the way it smelled. I kept sniffing my arms throughout the day... didn't even need perfume, these are great! I'm excited to try the other scents.

I haven't used the spot healing gel yet, mainly because I haven't had a need for it. But it is nice to have to try out when a breakout does occur.
I have used the moisturizing lotion several times, though, and LOVE it. I'm a moisturizer addict, and this one does not disappoint at all. Makes my skin feel smooth and silky, definitely not greasy or heavy at all, and sinks in quickly.

I haven't tried this yet, but will put up a review as soon as I do. I rarely wear bronzers, but it is fall, so now would be the time. :)

I grabbed this because I really wanted a green liner, and I love this one! I was hesitant to get a pencil again, because I've never liked pencils much. This one glides on very smoothly, unlike most other pencils I've tried. I love using it on my waterline, It makes my green eyes pop and is a lot more subtle than black. And the price is not bad at all. $5, and they have tons of shades to choose from. I am tempted to go back and buy a few more!

Well, that's it for this brief review, As I said before, I'll post individual reviews with pictures of them actually ON my face. Today is not a makeup day, so I will start working on those tomorrow and get them on here ASAP. If you have any questions or if there are any specific products you'd like to see the in-depth reviews on FIRST, please comment here and let me know! I will do my best to get to the ones you want to know more about as quickly as I can!

Thanks for reading!

Meagan

Happy Halloween!

2013-10-31T07:57:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween, everyone! Hope you all have a magical night of mischief! I plan on it!

Every year, I have an amazing costume idea, and it almost always falls through at the last minute due to time or money constraints. I'm not great with time management, as my followers know very well by now. What sucks is that this year, I totally could have done my costume, but the problem was that we didn't have time to do Shane's costume, and since our costumes relied on each other for full impact, we decided to save it for next year, and we are both pulling off some sweet last minute costumes.

Tonight, we are headed to a local hookah bar to party and get pictures of all the costumes, so I will be posting all of those ASAP!

Have fun tonight, and don't get into too much trouble. ;)

Happy Haunting!

Meagan

Parmesan Herb Wonton Crackers

2013-10-30T08:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I made what is now my favorite snack on earth. Wonton crackers! There are SO SO SO SO SO many things you can do with wonton wrappers, I could go on for days. I make jalapeno poppers with them, pizza rolls... you name it. You can pretty much put anything in one of those puppies and bake or fry it up and it's going to be amazing. That being said, it had never even crossed my mind to make crackers with them! I saw a recipe on Pinterest the other day and thought I'd change it up to fit my taste and try it out! Not only did I love them, so did everyone else. I made 4 batches yesterday and they were almost gone by the end of the night! They taste INCREDIBLE, and are so quick and easy to make!

So, here's how you do it...

Parmesan Herb Wonton Crackers

Ingredients:

(Of course you can change up these seasonings to fit your preferences, but I have to say that this combination was amazing, and these crackers would go great with chili.)

wonton wrappers
olive oil
salt and pepper
oregano
parmesan (grated fresh off the block would be ideal, i just went the lazy route and used the canned stuff.)
garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Begin by cutting your wonton squares in half to make rectangles. I just took several at a time and cut them with kitchen scissors. Nice and easy.

Lay wonton rectangles in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil.

Now, gather your seasonings together....

Sprinkle salt and pepper over wontons, then seasonings of your choice. I used oregano, garlic powder and parmesan. Can't go wrong with that combo!

Stick them in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them in the last few minutes, because they brown up pretty quickly in that time. I like mine to be lightly browned, but some like for them to be a bit darker. I believe each batch of mine went in for about 7-8 mins.

Pull out of oven and let cool for a few minutes. Now you have some incredibly tasty homemade crackers to enjoy!!

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2013-10-29T09:37:00.001-05:00

When you carve out your pumpkins this year, don't toss the seeds away! Roasted pumpkin seeds can be seasoned in a number of ways, and are a great Autumn snack! I like mine to have a little kick to em, but if that's not your style, you can put in less cayenne or take it out entirely. Plain salted pumpkin seeds are also delicious!
As promised, here is the spicy pumpkin seed recipe that I used this year!

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp melted butter (olive oil or vegetable oil will also work)

salt

garlic powder (optional)

cayenne pepper (optional)

onion powder (optional)

cajun seasoning (optional)

1 tsp of Worcestershire (optional)

Directions:

Begin by preheating your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pull all of the strings and pulp off of your seeds, then rinse and drain them.

Lay the seeds out on a paper towel and lay another paper towel on top. Press down gently on top of the seeds to get rid of excess moisture.

Toss pumpkin seeds in a medium sized bowl with the melted butter and seasonings of your choice.

Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. (I did some fine-tuning of this after I took the picture, make sure you don't have clumps of pumpkin seeds, spread them out as evenly as possible so they bake evenly.

Bake for about 45 mins, stirring every 10 mins or so, until golden brown. After they have been in the oven 30 mins, check on them every 5 mins to make sure they don't burn. Mine came out a tad overdone, because I did not do this. I honestly don't mind, but in the future, I will definitely keep a better eye on them.

Let cool on baking tray, then transfer to an airtight container and enjoy!!

Pumpkin Carvings!

2013-10-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves to show off their pumpkin carvings, so I thought I'd join in on the fun! I'm no expert carver, and I definitely made a few mistakes here and there, but here are our pumpkins for Halloween 2013!

We found free pumpkin patterns online, because none of us really trust our freehand ability. I used the website Pumpkin Pile to find patterns, there are tons there and they are all free!

Shane and I both worked on the Boo pumpkin at the far left, I did the mediocre kitty pumpkin in the middle, and Shane's mom did an excellent Jack Skellington on the far right.

In the spirit of Halloween and Autumn in general, we saved the seeds and made roasted pumpkin seeds! Stop by tomorrow for the how-to and the recipe I used so that you can make your own!

Have a ghoulish day! ;)

Meagan

GET EXCITED!

2013-10-27T10:48:00.001-05:00

I love makeup. I know a lot of you do too. Some of you are beginners and need some basic advice, some of you have the basics down and want to learn some new tips and tricks, and I'm sure there are those of you who already know a lot and want to know where to go from here! Well, I'm here to help!
I will be doing a Q & A with an amazing makeup artist, Miss Chelsea! Chelsea lived in LA for a number of years doing special effects makeup, she has worked on movie sets, and currently works at MAC! She has so much knowledge about makeup, and loves to teach others!

I have lots of questions ready to go for her already, but if there is anything you would like answered, please leave a comment or send an email to Quirkability@gmail.com so that I can ask her!

Quick and Easy Broiled Marinated Salmon

2013-10-25T12:04:00.000-05:00

I will start this off by saying I am NOT a fish girl. I am very very picky about how my fish is prepared and what type of fish I will eat. Basically, it's either going to be in a sushi roll or fried. Real healthy, right?
That being said, I have been doing dinner almost every night lately, which means there have been a serious lack of fish based meals. I decided to finally man up and try my hand and making fish for the first time ever! It turned out delicious, and I wanted to spread the word so that fish haters can give this a shot and see if it changes your mind! (Plus, it was super quick and simple, so anyone can make it.)

Quick and Easy Broiled Marinated Salmon

Ingredients:

1 large thawed salmon fillet, cut into 6-8 pieces
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 medium or 1 large clove of garlic, minced or pressed

Begin by putting your salmon in a glass dish

Mix all other ingredients together in a medium sized bowl with a small whisk or fork

This mixture will be somewhat thick in consistency and look more like a glaze, so don't worry if that's how yours turns out! Cover the salmon like so:

Now stick in the fridge for at least 30 mins, up to several hours. I marinated mine for about 2 hours.

When you're ready to cook it, set your oven to broil, move salmon to a covered cookie sheet (with raised edges! This marinade will run when heated!)

Pour the excess marinade over the top of the salmon and broil for at least 5 minutes.

After the 5 minutes, check it after each additional minute until it flakes easily with a fork.

That's all! Now sit and enjoy your delicious dinner.

Here's what ours looked like:

Birchbox October '13

2013-10-24T11:22:00.000-05:00

HEY!
I received my first Birchbox this week, and I'm pretty excited!
I love the idea of Birchbox, because I don't wear makeup everyday, but I do want to use quality products. It's nice to be able to try things out in small sizes before you decide whether the full-size is worth the money. I also like it because sample sizes always last a long time with me because I only wear makeup about twice a week.

[SMALL TANGENT ALERT]

The Sephora Favorites set from a couple years ago completely ruined me once I realized what I had been missing out on all these years. I was introduced to moisturizers and primers and all sorts of wonderful things I hadn't even really considered necessary like I do now.
I began moisturizing twice daily...cleansing and moisturizing your face is especially important before putting on makeup, in my opinion. I really love the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, and I believe that was the one in my SF set. It is not cheap, but it works amazingly, it's light and you can feel the transformation of your skin immediately. For a cheaper moisturizer, I use St. Ives Timeless Skin Moisturizer. This is less than $5 and comes in a 10 oz container which lasts FOR-EV-ER. I currently have two nearly full ones because they were on sale and I probably won't need to buy moisturizer again for at least a year. This moisturizer does work well in that it soaks in quickly and there is a visible and tactical difference, it's also very light and doesn't feel greasy or heavy when applied. But still, nothing compares to the quality of Laura Mercier.
Anywho, once I began using higher quality makeup and skincare products, I started to see my complexion improve and my makeup stayed put so much longer. Now, this is not to say that every expensive makeup item is going to be good, or that all the cheapy ones are bad (because I have definitely found some very inexpensive favorites that I can do a post on another time if anyone is interested..) but that's why Birchbox is great. You can try out those expensive products and decide whether or not they're right for you.

[TANGENT OVER]

Ok, back to Birchbox. Here's what I received this month! (Apologies in advance for the horrible lighting of these photos. I was in a rush when I took these. Promise they will be better next month!)

Lovely, simple packaging

A "Beauty Buzz" card explaining some of the products

Peeling away the tissue paper...

The first thing I picked up was the Benefit Fake Up Concealer.

Cute packaging!

A look at the uncapped concealer stick.
I've never used a stick before, always a cream, so I'm excited to try this out!
I have yet to find a concealer that I like, so I hope this works out!

Inside the orange envelope were these two items. Evologie Stay Clear cream and Ruffian Nail Lacquer in "Hedge Fund".
I'll start out with the good... I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color of this nail polish. It is perfect for fall, and being someone who LOVES green nail polish, this is a shade I've never seen before and it is absolutely perfect. It's sort of a metallic olive green with hints of gold, and one coat of it is all you need.
It also looks beautiful on the nail. (I will post pictures with my hands fully painted once I make it to the drugstore to pick up more polish remover!)
And the not-so-good... I was really excited about this Stay Clear cream, because I have been breaking out lately after *STUPIDLY* trying a new facial cleanser that did not make my skin happy. I applied this as directed, and once it soaked in, I happened to rub my fingers just under my chin and there was this weird glue-like residue that rolled off in my fingers. I really do not like that, it makes me feel as though I'm slapping Elmer's on my face. and no one should pay ($62!!!!!) for that feeling. I may try it one more time on the off chance that I applied too much (which I doubt) and see if I change my mind. On the bright side, I did notice one of my more prominent chin blemishes was nearly gone the following day, so in that regard, it is functional. But, to me, it has to look good AND feel good to justify that price. What are they making this with, babies? Anyway...

This is Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Flowering Fuscia gets a mixed review from me as well. I will preface this by saying that I would never normally wear gloss of any kind. It's either lipstick or stain and balm. I have small lips, and making them shiny draws attention, and makes them look even smaller in my opinion.
When I received this, I figured I might as well give it a try and see if it could turn me into a gloss lover. I don't hate it, but I noticed on the Birchbox product description of this, it praises it's non-stickiness. Most of the customer reviews also say it's not sticky. Maybe it's just me, but it defintely feels sticky. It may be that since I normally wouldn't wear it, gloss of any kind feels sticky, but I don't love that feeling. That being said, I do think it looks good. It doesn't have much pigment, so your lips won't be bright pink or anything, this looks surprisingly nude with just a hint of pink on my lips. It also doesn't smell like much of anything, which is kind of nice, because that's what I have perfume for. I also hate when gloss has that fake plasticky kid makeup smell. Big turn-off. This does not smell like that at all. One last thing, the applicator was another turn off for me. It is a small, narrow plastic paddle, and just looked and felt kind of cheap. That's all.

They also threw in this "hydration lock" Chap-Stick, which I actually thought was kind of nice because I keep forgetting to pick up lip balm, and WINTER IS COMING, so I needz dem. We all know what Chap-Stick is like, right? It was like that. Moving on...

So that's it for the first month! I'm so happy with the nail color, which redeems the entire box, and I still have hope for the concealer, which I haven't tried yet, aside from a skin swatch that looked promising. I will get back to you on that soon! I will try the Evologie one more time as promised, and I will probably continue using the gloss whenever I get that rare glossy feeling, and of course will be using the Chap-Stick daily.

Thanks for reading this far, hope this helps you decide if Birchbox or any of these products are right for you! If you have any questions, comment here or email me at Quirkabillity@gmail.com.

I look forward to doing more makeup reviews in the future! Hopefully I can wrangle one of my Make-up artist buddies to do a guest post or Q & A here soon! It would certainly be nice to learn a few tricks of the trade!

Adios!

-Meagan

Crab Cakes w/ Mayo-Horseradish Sauce

2013-10-23T08:27:00.001-05:00

Crab Cakes w/ Mayo Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients (Crab Cakes):

1 lb crabmeat, finely chopped (we used imitation crabmeat and stuck it in the food processor)
1/3 c. breadcrumbs
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 c. mayo
1 egg
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry ground mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
dash of cayenne
dash of paprika
1 tsp salt
dash of oregano

flour or breading mix for dusting (we used a breading mixture meant for bloomin' onions, feel free to use whatever flour based breading mixture you want, get creative and just mix some of your favorite seasonings into some flour and create your own!)
peanut or vegetable oil

Ingredients (Sauce):

1 c. mayo
2 tbsp. horseradish
2 tbsp. lemon juice
dash of salt and black pepper

For the crab cakes, get a large bowl, and mix together all ingredients except for the flour and the peanut oil

Shane begged me to stick the crab in the processor so he didn't have to chop it all, and it was way easier.

Here's the crab cake mixture, all combined together:

Form the crab mixture into patties

coat the patties in your breading mixture or flour

For the sauce, add all ingredients above, and mix well.

warm up your peanut or vegetable oil in your skillet, and fry the crab cakes about 3-5 mins on each side, turning ONCE, or until golden brown and crispy

When removing the crab cakes from the skillet, transfer them to a plate with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil

Here is our finished meal! Aside from the crab cakes, I made marinated salmon (which I will be posting about ASAP!), teriyaki rice, and some broccoli & carrots.

ENJOY!

Fresh Horseradish

2013-10-22T10:08:00.000-05:00

Last week, Shane's dad pulled some horseradish from the backyard garden, and hinted at me to do something with it. I had no idea horseradish was even a plant, let alone that it grew in our backyard, so of course I had to try making some horseradish on my own! It's a lot easier than I thought it would be, so I wanted to pass it along to all of you!

The root of the horseradish plant is what you'll need for this, so make sure you keep it.

Chop off the leaves, dispose of them, and rinse the root tubes.

They should look something like this:

Now, take a vegetable peeler, and peel the outer layer off the root tubes.

They should now look like this:

Now, use a knife and cube the tubes. (I'm starting to think I should turn this into a song...)

Add the chopped up tubes along with 2 tbsp. of water into a blender and pulse until combined and at the desired consistency.

Make sure there aren't any large lumps or that it isn't too stringy.

Add 1 tbsp of white vinegar, and pulse a little bit more in the blender to combine.

Empty all the contents of the blender into a small airtight container. Make sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape out everything, it will get stuck to the sides and under the blender blade.

Mine had a little extra water, so i held a spoon against it and tipped the container to drain the excess water.

And now you have your finished horseradish!

I made this fresh horseradish to use in a crab cake sauce recipe, (1 c. mayo, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp horseradish) and turned a horseradish hater into a lover!

Have fun!!

WALL WIT!

2013-09-06T16:13:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone!
Sorry it's been so long, things have been picking up with the shop, so I haven't had any time to update this blog! Trust me, I'm working on it. I will post whenever I'm able to, and I do have some DIY projects up my sleeve to share soon, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, I thought I'd share some new things going on at the shop and with my life. Heeeerrreeee we go!

Shop-wise, you may have noticed I've been branching out from just making jewelry into some home decor items. I began making coasters, and I have now moved on to wall decor! I'm unbelievably excited about this new venture, and it has turned out wonderfully, in my opinion! Here are some of the first batch of what I'm calling "Wall Wit". These are brand new to the shop as of today, 09/06/13.

go to listing

Now, if you've been paying attention, you'll notice how much crisper and clearer the photos are now... that's because I recently acquired a brand new Canon Rebel DSLR! I can't wait to share more photos here, and I hope you are all as excited as I am!

I will be sharing more photos here soon, so be on the lookout! Shane and I are going to be doing some exploring for photogenic spots this weekend! If you know of any great scenic areas in northern Illinois, please share! Comment, email or write on the Questionable Logic FB wall! I love to hear from all of you!!

Toodles,

Meagan

no purrsday

2013-05-09T08:32:00.003-05:00

No purrsday today, cuties. I'll be too busy obsessively finishing A Storm of Swords. That is all.

Witty Wednesday!

2013-05-08T12:28:00.001-05:00

DIY Painted Fabric Cuff

2013-05-03T18:52:00.000-05:00

Had a great day today, finally got out of the house for the first time in what feels like forever. Got to talk for a bit with my best friend, did some thrifting and found two cute cardigans and an army green shirtdress for $8 total! We also did a little supply run for some more resin at Michael's and Shane found some glycerine so he can start making his own shisha (flavored tobacco for hookahs). All in all, it was a successful outing. Anywho, enough about my day, I'm here to show you how to make some cute handpainted fabric cuffs, so here we go!!

Here's what I used:

strips of various fabrics, acrylic paint, ruler, scissors, vintage enamel snaps,
and a pen/marker & a hammer (not pictured)

I had all of these items already, so this cost me nothing. If you're looking for small amounts of fabric at the fabric store and don't want to get an entire yard, ask them for a quarter. It's a cheaper, smaller, and you will be able to spend the money you save on another fabric option! Make sure you are choosing somewhat sturdy fabrics like vinyl or pleather (or leather, if that's what you're into). I chose vinyl in a few different colors. I bought these snaps for a few bucks on Etsy from Blue Ridge Bird Houses.

Take your fabric of choice and measure out how long you want the cuff to be on the WRONG side of the fabric. you will be marking directly on the fabric, and you don't want that to show when you're finished.
You will need to allow about 1" extra on the length to make up for where the fabric will overlap to snap together. For example, I want my cuff to be about 7", so I measure for 8". I mark at 8" on both sides of the ruler, and make a line along the ruler on both sides, since my ruler is about 1" wide, which is how wide I want my cuff to be.

The wrong side of your fabric should now look a little something like this:

Cut along the lines you drew, as straight as possible. I am HORRIBLE at cutting straight lines, and I know I'm not the only one! :)

Make sure your ends are also straight.

Mark a dot with your pen about 1/4"-1/2" from the end of your fabric, in the center, like this:

This is where you will insert the first part of your snap. These snaps come in 4 parts. Stick the prongs of this piece over where you marked the dot. Make sure this piece is as centered as possible before you push it through the fabric.

Work the fabric gently with your fingers to guide the prongs through to the tougher vinyl side.

Use this part of the snap and fit it over the prongs. Only one side will fit correctly. Once you have it placed over the prongs evenly, (as shown below), use a hammer and hammer this piece into the prongs.

If you are not sure whether it's tight enough, do a fingernail test. If you can fit your fingernail between the fabric and the metal of the snap, you will need to hammer it a few more times. It should look like this, flush with the right side of the fabric.

Now, grab your marker/pen again and mark in the same spot on the OTHER end of the cuff, on the RIGHT side. This will be covered by the snap, so don't worry about it showing. Fit the prong piece from the right side to the wrong side of the fabric, opposite of before. It should look like this:

Now, fit your last snap piece onto the prongs and hammer it down again. Below is before hammering. There should be no gap between the fabric and the snap after you hammer.

After hammering:

Now your snap is done!

Your cuff is now ready to be painted with whatever design you choose! I like to either freehand designs, or I use my clay cutters (if you do this, make sure you wash them thoroughly before and after. You don't want clay getting into your paint or vice versa!) and dip them in paint, to stamp shapes that i can fill in later.

For this cuff, I chose to do some freehand turquoise stripes in varying widths.

The Completed cuff:

And here are a few others that I made:

If you don't have the time or patience to make these on your own, stop by the shop! I have the turquoise cuff with the yellow triangles and the green cuff with the silver and black bubble design for sale!

Time for you to get to work making custom fabric cuffs of your own!

As always, comment here or shoot me an email with any questions or comments, I'm here to help!

quirkability@gmail.com

xoxo,

Meagan

shop update

2013-05-02T12:47:00.003-05:00

Hi blog world! No PURRSday today, I'll be busy doing spring cleaning, painting, and adding new listings to the shop. There will definitely be a DIY post tomorrow, though, so don't worry.

To be honest, I have been contemplating getting rid of PURRSday and coming up with something different to put in its place. It doesn't seem to generate any extra interest, and it was more for me than anyone else (sometimes I just need cute animal pictures to get me through the week, don't judge me.) I think I have an idea of what I'd like to do instead, so we'll see how that pans out next week.

I hope you guys don't hate me for switching things up all the time. I just enjoy change, and hate when things get boring. Anywho, since I'm not doing a PURRSday post today, I thought I'd update you all on what's new in the shop. Enjoy!!

navy blue resin disc earrings

wild iris resin disc earrings

white resin disc earrings

baby pink resin disc earrings

beige resin disc earrings

goldenrod resin disc earrings

coral resin disc earrings

"under the microscope" coaster set

mint, peach & coral polymer clay bubble necklace

set of 4 stackable silver bar bracelets

mixer braid necklace

beaded faux turquoise pendant necklace

faux turquoise adjustable cross ring

turquoise pyramid stud earrings

bright red pyramid stud earrings

deep purple pyramid stud earrings

black polymer clay statement necklace with gold accents

natural hemp braid necklace with hot pink accents

handpainted hunter green vinyl cuff

handpainted turquoise vinyl cuff

Witty Wednesday!

2013-05-01T11:19:00.003-05:00

DIY Colorblock Headband

2013-04-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hey crafters! I've got a super easy, affordable, and fun way to jazz up all those old headbands you've got lying around. This project technically cost me $0 because I had all of the materials already, but if you were to buy all the materials new (not including the headband, and substituting Mod Podge for Elmer's Glue as a cheaper alternative) this project will EASILY be under $5.

Here's what I used:

Old headband, scissors, 5 different colors of embroidery thread, Mod Podge (you can substitute this for Elmer's or clear nail polish as a cheaper alternative.)

I chose these five colors - Orange, turquoise, white, goldenrod, and magenta. Everything I have been making lately has been very SPRING oriented. I just hope it actually gets here soon. (I cannot believe it has been snowing in April! WTF!?) Anywho...

Pick the color you want to start with (in my case, turquoise). Begin by knotting your strand around the bottom of one side of the headband. Keep the knot to the inside of the headband. Avoid tying it too close to the rounded end if you have one, you don't want the embroidery thread to slip off while you are working. Make sure to leave a tail that's a few inches long.

Begin tightly wrapping your embroidery thread around the headband, making sure each strand is next to the one before it and that they are not overlapping or bunching up.

You also will want to keep the tail underneath the wrapping, you will use this tail later to help start the next section of color.

Just keep wrapping, just keep wrapping....

Once you are satisfied with the length of that section, go ahead and knot the tail you left earlier to the wrapping end of the embroidery thread as pictured below, so that it is secure. Make sure your knot is tight against the inside of the headband.

Pick a new color, and knot the end of that to the previous color's knot. Again, leave a few inches of a tail.

Start wrapping your second color much like the first.

Lather, rinse, repeat! Once you get to the end of the opposite side of your headband, knot off your last color, chop off the tails, leaving a couple millimeters of a tail (just in case) and use a tiny dab of your Mod Podge/Elmer's/Clear nail polish on the knot, let it dry, and you are good to go!

Here is the finished headband:

I personally love this project, and I think it would be super cute with an ombre effect. I think that's what I'll be doing with my next one. :) Happy crafting!

As always, if you have a question or comment, feel free to post here or email me at Quirkability@gmail.com

xoxo, Meagan

PURRSDAY [squirrels gone wild]

2013-04-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

I found a random subreddit a couple months ago called r/squirrelsgonewild. Needless to say, I subscribed instantly. Squirrels have got to be one of the cutest animals ever. A few years ago, my best friend's family even took care of a squirrel in their home for awhile, and she was the cutest thing ever! She would just climb alllllll over you making little chittery noises. Here is this picture I hunted down from 2009 of me holding her before a night out:

So here are some other aww-worthy pictures of squirrels being AWESOME.
(this is probably my longest PURRSday post yet. i went a little...ahem....WILD.)

Clint Eastwood even loves squirrels. COME ON.

Witty Wednesday

2013-04-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

Hey blog world! Sorry about the absence last week. I got caught up working on alcohol ink coasters and making some new jewelry, which you can check out later this week on the shop! I'm back this week, though, so don't fret! :)

Here's a freshly picked Witty Wednesday post for ya.

First, enjoy this video of a Cat in a Shark Suit on a Roomba Chasing a Duckling.

A few of my favorites from 11 Engagement Photos That Will Make You Happy You're Single (via BuzzFeed):

Also, a bunch of hilarious photos from BuzzFeed's 25 Photos You Need To Really Look at To Understand:

Witty Wednesday

2013-04-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

DIY 4-Strand Braid Bracelet

2013-04-12T14:51:00.000-05:00

Hi crafters! Today I want to show you one of my favorite techniques, the 4-Strand Braid. It adds a bit of sophistication to your jewelry, while the typical braid tends to look a bit junior. This is also a VERY inexpensive bracelet that I'm making, so start using your creativity and try using this technique with beads or strips of fabric! Anywho, on with the tutorial.

What you will need:

4 different colors of embroidery thread, tape, end bead, scissors, ruler.

In addition to these materials, I also used Mod Podge (you can use Elmer's Glue or clear nail polish as well) to help seal the knots.

for my 4 colors, I chose a palette that screamed SPRING! - yellow, purple, pink, and blue.

Cut 3 15 inch strands of each color embroidery thread. (Yes, I know that sounds like it's too long, but you will want the extra length to work with later. It's always better to cut it too long than too short!)

Separate your colors.

Make a loop with your embroidery thread, then pull the tail through the loop. DO NOT PULL TIGHT.

Stick your finger in the loop, and pull both ends of the thread tight so that the loop is snug around your finger.

Now, with the shorter end, wrap another loop just like the first one, around the longer end.

You WILL pull this one tight, to form a very basic square knot.

Do this one more time, and LEAVE THE TAIL. We will take care of that at the end.

Now, tape down your knot and loop to a table and separate your 4 groups of colors.

Begin by taking the blue strands (3rd from the left) and laying it over the pink strand (2nd from the left)

Now, since the blue strands went OVER the pink strands, they will now go UNDER the yellow strands.

And because the pink strands went UNDER the blue strands, they will now go OVER the purple strands.

Now we have yellow and purple in the middle and the blue and pink strands that were originally in the middle are now on the outside.

You will repeat those weaving steps again... purple will go OVER the yellow and yellow UNDER the purple.

...and because the yellow went UNDER the purple, it will go OVER the pink, and the purple will go UNDER the blue.

Now we're back to having the pink and blue in the middle, so you just keep going with the UNDER/OVER pattern and it will start to look like this:

Just keep braiding, just keep braiding...

Once you've got a fairly long braid, place the ruler just under the knot at the loop to measure out how long you need it to be to fit your wrist. Also make sure you account for about 1/2 an inch extra to be included for the loop/bead closure. For example, I want my braid to be about 7 inches, because my wrist is about 7.5 inches.

Tie off another square knot where you want your bracelet to end, and pull it tight.

Now, to add your closure bead, (you will notice I had to change mine to one with a slightly larger hole) take a scrap strand of embroidery thread and loop it around the tail below the knot.

Pull the ends of the scrap strand (yellow) through the holes of your bead of choice.

Keep pulling on the scrap strand so that the tail gets pulled through the bead.

Keep pulling it all the way through....

Now your bead is perfectly strung on the tail.

Secure the other side of the bead with another knot.

It's up to you whether you want to leave the long tail or not, sort of like a tassel, but I don't like having things dangle too far off my wrist, so i chopped the tail down to about 1/4".

Now, go back to your loop at the beginning, and chop off that tail too.

Take your Mod Podge or Elmer's Glue, and gently rub a very small amount onto the threads, guiding them over the knot, so that they are pushed down and secure. This keeps your loop knot from coming undone. You can use a brush for this if you don't want to get it on your fingers. I don't mind getting my hands a little dirty.

The Mod Podge will dry clear, and when it does in about 20 minutes, you're good to go!

Cute new bracelet just in time for spring! You can make tons of these and stack them, or as I mentioned in the beginning of the post, use this technique on anything! I would love to see what you come up with.

Comment here or E-mail me: Quirkability@gmail.com