The Aesthetic Writer

The Puff Jacket Premier

2012-01-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

Some friends wanted to know how I would "style" these

Goodwill finds that I wrote about in my last post.

So here's two pictures of how I've managed to incorporate

these cheap finds into my regular wardrobe.

After wearing my new puff jacket for the past two days,

I must admit that it's becoming one of my

favorite pieces for the winter months.

The lime green shirt is also another Goodwill find.

As long as I top it all off with a great scarf, I'm good to go!

What's your favorite piece of clothing to wear in the winter months?

Boots? Sweaters? Puff Jackets? Scarves?

Frugal Living: Less is More

2012-01-05T14:30:00.000-08:00

Today while I was in Wichita, I decided to stop by Goodwill

just on the chance that I could find some lovely clothes for super cheap.

My past experiences haven't always been successful,

but I'm always curious to see what different store locations have.

Fortunately for me, today was my lucky day.

I found 5 tops for under $12.

Yay for frugal living!

It just proves that buying clothes doesn't take a lot of money.

Though scrounging around Goodwill for 45 minutes

takes diligence and perseverance.

This was my first find because its' pattern basically screamed at

me to take it home. I really love sleeveless sweaters and can't wait

to add it to my collection.

I was very excited to find one of these "puffy" jackets

in my size because I've always wanted one.

I believe I'm going to wear it tomorrow!

This is an Ann Taylor shirt and what I consider the creme-de-la-creme

of my shopping experience. I know that these shirts go for much

more than what I want to pay, and are sometimes too "old-ladyish" for me.

At first I was hesitant about the ruffles at the neckline,

but this emerald beauty is growing on me!

This is just a basic lime green long-sleeved shirt from Target.

It's so soft and absolutely comfy.

I believe I will pair it with my puffy jacket and wear it tomorrow.

I was also very suprised to find this flowy shirt from Maurices.

This design makes me think about sophicated tatoos, for some reason.

Nevertheless, I will gladly pair it with a pretty purple shirt.

Those are my frugal findings for the day!

2012 Manifesto

2011-12-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

I found the perfect inspiration for setting goals for 2012 on Pinterest: Manifesto.

I first loved it because it was visually appealing.

Then I thought it would be fun to create my own version and place it

in my office where I would look at it several times throughout the day.

Basically, I just wanted to play around with some pretty fonts :)

So last night I brainstormed goals for six different categories:

financially, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and vocationally.

I came up with about 2-3 goals for each category and then artistically

arranged them in my Publisher program.

Even though these words will help trigger my mind to think about these

goals, I want to write down a specific statement about each of

these goals so that it's clear as to what kind of progress I personally

want to make in 2012.

Don't make cheesy resolutions.

Make a manifesto.

Happy New Year to all!

These Are A Few of My Favorite "Pins"

2011-11-23T20:38:00.001-08:00

I will gladly admit that I surf Pinterest every day...several times a day.

There's nothing I welcome more than new inspiration :)

So here's a few of my favorite things--

whether it's a recipe I want to whip up,

an outfit I want to put together,

a DIY project I want to tackle,

or a fantastic design idea I can't wait to use--

it's just another thing I will add to my "yes" list.

Favorite recipe: Sweet Potato Fries

I really never tried sweet potatoes until all the research

I've been doing about healthy eating choices.

And I must say, this is a solid winner.

Just like potatoes, you can turn sweet potates into whatever

you want. I definitely prefer making them into fries.

It's almost a guilty pleasure without the guilt.

Favorite Outfit: Jade Shirt with Leopard Print Scarf

I have been trying and trying and trying to find a

great leopard print scarf, but I still don't have one.

I've searching online and in stores, and have seen

leopard print scarves, but not to my liking.

Alas, I will keep trying!

Favorite DIY Project: Silverware Artwork Frame

There are so many, but this one I must tackle.

I love frames and I love the vintage-ness of the design.

I usually don't have good luck with spray paint,

but I always seem to try it and then remember why

I don't use it. So, I'll have to get creative!

Favorite Kid's Ministry Idea: Shower Curtain Map

I'm always on the lookout for ways to make learning

interesting for my kids at church. I am passionate about them

learning about God's Stories and want them to have memorable

experiences when they walk through the door. I have a feeling that

this shower curtain map might come up in the future. A nice little

map of Jerusalem during Jesus' Triumphal Entry could definitely

bring the story to life.

Until next time, keep blogging and keep pinning!

The "Sweet" in Sweet Potato

2011-11-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks I've been

researching how to eat more natural foods.

It's a total mindset change from choosing easy

processed foods to choosing how to prepare healthy,

natural, farm-based foods.

If you're going down the grocery aisle and

you pick up an item off the shelf and it contains

more than 5 ingredients, and if you are unable to pronounce

some of those ingredients, place that item back on the shelf.

It will do more harm than good to your body.

Much of this intentional eating inspiration comes from the

documentary my friend, Melissa Nickel, had some of us girls watch

when we were all together in KC a couple weekends ago.

It's called Forks Over Knives. More info can be found here.

Anyways, I've been eager to try out new foods and new recipes.
Here's what I made tonight:

First, I decided to make my own granola bars because
when I read the ingredients label on the ones I buy from the store,
I was surprised at how processed it truly was.
This recipe contains no sugar, no flour, no eggs, and no butter!

Here's the finished product. It made 12 granola bars.

Good enough for 2 weeks worth of afternoon snacks for me.

And the best thing, they are so good!

For supper I tried my hand at a new vegetable: sweet potatoes.

I've never been a fan of sweet potatoes, but I've read so many

good things about them, that I figured it was time to give them a try.

So I baked the sweet potatoes, added feta cheese,

cranberries and cilantro on top. Quite delish.

And then I sauteed some fresh green beans, onions, and red bell peppers.

Again, so many great flavors. We will definitely be eating this again!

Thanks to Pinterest for these recipes!

DIY: Dry-Erase Calendar

2011-10-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

Since joining the Pinterest world,

I have found so many things that I want to make!

One that caught my attention was a dry-erase calendar.

Check it out here: amazingness

So, I decided to make one for my office out of green paint chips.

When I went to Wal-Mart, the cashier gave me the "stink eye"

because I was carrying LOTS of paint chips.

I bet the thought going through her mind was,

"I can't believe she's getting all those paint chips for free!"

Note to self, next time I am doing a project with paint chips,

I'll remember not to go through that lady's checkout.

I then went to Hobby Lobby and purchased a 12" X 16" frame.

I didn't want a basic frame--I wanted something vintage looking.

I found a white-washed frame at half-price,

then took it home and did my own antiquing to it by

smearing some brown paint on the wood.

It came out just the way I wanted it.

Beforehand, I had cut all my paint chips to be 2" x 2".

Just enough room to write the times of important meetings.

Then I arranged the colors so that there was a

balance between light and dark colors.

And finally, I taped all the paint chips

to the blank side of the picture insert.

Then I assembled the frame together.

Took the frame to work and wrote in

all the important things I need to remember.

All you need is a dry-erase marker and it write on the glass like a charm.

I've decided that I need to make another one so that I can have a

calendar showing me what's happening next month as well.

Always gotta stay on my toes!

Can't wait to make more things from Pinterest!

Rosette Bookpage Wreath

2011-10-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

Yay! I'm finally getting around to posting again on my blog!

It's been what....at least a month??? Oops.

But this DIY is definitely worthy of a post.

If there's anything that I love making its wreaths.

I probably enjoy it because I get to

rip apart (I mean, reuse) my old college textbooks.

*Thanks Jennifer for giving my the inspiration!*

1. Rip out a page from an old book.

2. Fold the page in half but leave half an inch at the top

so that when you twist the paper it looks all pretty.

3. Roll the end at least 4 rotations.

Now that I'm looking at the picture, it realize that the picture is incorrect.

When you twist the pages, you will want the edges of the

bookpage to flip out to create the rosette and not be trapped inside.

So have the open edges to the left hand side and face down.

You will roll from the top.

4. Fold the bookpage and then turn the rosette half a turn.

Continue this process until you have used up the whole bookpage.

5. Then place a staple at the bottom to hold everything together.

6. Then I took each individual rosette and hot glued

them onto the straw wreath.

7. After a few burned fingers and numerous rosettes later,

voile! a beautiful new wreath!

I must say, out of all the ones I've seen on the internet,

this has to be one of my favorites!

The Investigation Begins!

2011-09-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

Last night was a great night because I was able to

train my Awana volunteers for the upcoming year.

The theme for this year is "Investigating Truth"

so everything has a special agent/detective/spy twist to it.

Basically any information that I have sent out has been

authenticated with a "top secret" stamp in red ink.

I absolutely love that stamp and have become a little stamp happy.

The following pictures are of the tables I decorated for our Training Sessions.

I thoroughly enjoyed rumagging up some great props for these tables.

I found these spelling tiles and created different phrases for each table.

This one says, "Crack the Code" since there are several decoder wheels on the table.

This phrase says "Look beneath the surface."

I took one of my college textbooks and partially cut out the middle of page

to create one of those false middles where you can hide secret gadgets or whatnot.

This phrase says "Don't blow your cover."

And I was able to borrow my dad's vintage binoculars, as well as

find prop beards from my drama box.

This phrase says "It's Top Secret."

Especially since there's a confidential folder and envelope on the table.

Not to the mention the classy briefcase.

"Be on alert!"

You can never be too careful when training to be a spy.

"Meet me at nine o'clock."

Yes, it's true. Special Agents will be exchanging

information contained inside the Top Secret folder.

Overall, the training session was great because I have an excellent team of volunteers!

Can't wait for the kids to come next week!

The Push

2011-08-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

I've needed "the push" to get back into blogging.

So I will divulge to you my new favorite TV shows.

AMERICAN PICKERS:

I absolutely love this show because I learn

something new everytime I watch it.

Plus, I'd like to think that I'm an amateur picker myself,

even though, I have yet to visit a garage sale this summer. Oops.

Still, watching Mike and Frank interact is quite a treat.

PAWN STARS:

You never know what will show up in the store.

People bring in the weirdest and coolest things ever.

It's fascinating to learn the history about all the items.

I highly recommend checking it out.

Tomorrow I will be driving down to Normon, Oklahoma

for a church-related conference. I am very much looking

forward to this mini roadtrip.

There's just something I love about driving.

And I hope that this conferencewill help recharge me

and give me that push that I need

for the weeks to come.

I'll keep ya posted!

i'm not a big city kind of girl

2011-06-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

i have returned from a wonderful trip to washington d.c.

it's a great relief to be back.

yes, i thorougly enjoyed my vacation.

yes, i thorougly enjoyed being a tourist.

yes, i thoroughly enjoy spending time with tina.

but i belong in a small town and it feels so good to be home.

and it especially feels wonderful to be back at work.

i know i'll be asked what my favorite part of the trip was,

and i'm sure i will have different answers.

but there's one thing that i will remember most:

the fact that friendships can pick up where they left off.

it doesn't matter how often you talk or don't talk to each other,

or how often you see or don't see each other,

you still pick up where you left off from the last time you were together.

i'm thankful for friendships like this.

and i anticipate many more vacations and get-togethers will friends

when we'll be able to pick up where we left off,

as if time were non-existant.

Leaving for DC...

2011-06-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

i will be leaving for washington dc in less than 36 hours!

i am so excited about this trip for many reasons:

1. i get to spend some quality time with tina!

2. i get to ride a train to union station!

3. i get to visit the international spy museum!

4. i get to visit all the national monuments!

5. i get to use a groupon for a harbor cruise around the city!

6. i get to visit an aquarium! this hasn't happened since i was a kid.

7. i get to visit georgetown cupcakes from the tlc show "dc cupcakes."

i'm also excited to navigate my way through the city and metro system.

i absolutely love using maps and figuring out how to get from a to b.

i will definitely be memorizing this on the train ride up.

everything is laid out in the spare bedroom and just needs to be packed.

and i will definitely not leave with my neck pillow.

i think it may be one of the best travel inventions ever.

at least it will prevent what i call "floppy head syndrome."

can't wait to post some pictures when i get back!

Sunday Matinee Room

2011-06-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

one of the rooms that we use for sunday school is the Sunday Matinee room.

this is our gathering room for the kids and where we watch movies.

i added the final touches to this retro room just this past week.

here's a look!

mmm...i can smell the popcorn :)

my skirt looks like a confused zebra...

2011-06-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

my skirt looks like a confused zebra.

or maybe what a zebra would look like if you looked through a kaleidoscope.

but that's what my life feels like.

a kaleidoscope.

i'll let you think about that for a while.

because I had to.

my summer is turning out to be just as busy

as the other nine months of the year.

summertime is a time for me to get a good jumpstart on

writing curriculumfor next year's children's ministries.

and boy is it going to be exciting!

it will be full of mystery, suspense and intrigue :)

it's a long process, but i wouldn't have it any other way.

at least i will be in washington d.c. in two weeks to see tina!

i have most of my visitors' guide highlighted and most of the city

map has been filed into my long-term memory.

i can't wait to visit such a vibrant city.

until next time...keep twisting that kaleidoscope!

More Preschool Room Decorating

2011-05-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

I have definitely had the decorating bug these last couple of days.

Sunday afternoon and evening I painted the preschool room a lovely yellow.

Then I added these fun animals stickers to the wall

which made the room even more adorable.

I can't wait to see the kiddos faces when they walk into their room!

I really love the alphabet stickers!

And the coat hooks!

And the little bench!

After all this decorating,

I've discovered that my favorite animal is a giraffe.

The quality of the pictures makes the yellow look mustardy,

but the color is much lighter than that.

I guess you'll just have to come to church and take a look for yourself.

Next project: The Sunday Matinee room.

This room is where all the kiddos meet on Sunday mornings.

And it's our movie theatre room, too.

So, I wanted to give it that feel.

I painted this room on Monday and I have most of the decorations,

but I just need to figure out the placement of them on the walls.

Pictures will come!

Preschool Room Decorating

2011-05-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Ever since last Saturday, when we were able to raise over $1500

from the garage sale at church, I have been able to purchase

furniture and storage units for the kiddos classrooms.

This past week I focused on refreshing the preschool room.

My main plan is to paint the walls a creamy yellow and then use

white furniture to accent the walls and add some kid-friendly animal

decorations. So far, I'm loving the room and I still have a ways to go.

Here's some pictures of what I've done so far:

Yesterday, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought different sized

canvases as well as these cute little animals.

I matched the animals with a canvase and then chose a

complimentary color for the canvase to go with the animal.

Here's other storage that I've purchased that will add to the overall

"refreshing" process for this preschool room.

Ahh...I love storage!

And it's so easy to put together!

Tutorial: Ruffled Scarf

2011-05-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I got out my scissors and decided to make something.

Jennifer had posted this link on my facebook and I knew that

I had to try it out for myself.

The tutorial that TidyMom provides is very easy,

so there's really no need for me to provide steps on how to do it

when you can just click on this link:

http://tidymom.net/2011/how-to-make-a-scarf/

And here's what I started off with:

A shirt with a gorgeous print.

Then I cut out several 10 inch circles from the shirt

and proceeded to cut the circle in a spiral.

And then this is the final product:

I basically just let is hang from my shoulders but I have

tried to tie it in front like a scarf. It works, but I like the

way it is in these pictures.

Thanks Jennifer for the idea!

I can't wait to make more!

One Thing Leads to Another

2011-05-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

My blogging has been very minimal as of late.

In the past two weeks I have posted a grand total of two posts.

And this will make it three.

I somewhat owe my lack of posting to the busyness of life

and to my attitude towards composing interesting posts.

I had a few ideas that I toyed around with and then I decided

that I will only post things that are worthy of posting.

So, one thing leads to another and here I am again with a few pictures

of outfits. Most of what I've worn recently has already

been photographed or not worth of a picture.

This one was from a couple of weeks ago when the weather was a bit chilly.

Lately, it has been dry, hot, and windy.

This past Sunday I broke out my white capris to wear to church.

I love the top because it's crazy.

I've been known to call it my Grandma bowling shirt.

I get weird looks when I tell that to people.

And I will end with a picture of something I found at the garage sale

this past weekend. By the way, the garage sale we held at church

raised $1500 for our children's ministry. And I've already started redecorating

the preschool room by bying some great wall decorations and storage containers.

Those pictures will appear sometime in the future.

This pasta cannister will one day be displayed in my kitchen.

I think it's absolutely amazing and funky and totally old school.

William & Kate

2011-04-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been one of those people who has been

watching every special edition on tv about William and Kate.

It's really hard not wanting to know what's going to happen next.

And no matter how many times I hear the same information or

see the same pictures and videos of the couple, it still feels like

I'm watching it for the first time. It's possible that I could be slightly

"obsessed" with William and Kate, but to me, they're just so fascinating.

They are global, royal icons and we're drawn into their lives,

however glorious or however normal they want them to be.

Plus, Kate's dress was impeccable.

I mean. Just look at it.

Simply gorgeous.

Watching all the action in London brings back fond memories of Europe.

So many times I caught myself saying, "I've been there before!"

And London was definitely one of my favorite places.

Towering buildings.

Courteous and polite civilians.

Great entertainment district.

Fashion forward boutiques.

Tea and biscuits.

Museums. Museums. Museums.

Clean subways (or as they call it, "The Tube").

And British accents. (Love them)

Oh London. How I miss you!

Book Wreath Tutorial

2011-04-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

When I saw this book wreath on one of the DIY blogs I follow,

I knew that I had to try it out for myself.

Ever since I graduated with an English degree and

have pursued a different vocational field than English,

I've been wondering what to do with all my books from college.

Especially all the anthologies from Brit Lit, American Lit, World Lit,

and all the other ginormous books that look important but will never use again.

There's a few options I've considered about the future of these books:

1. Throw them away. But that just seems wasteful.

2. Sell them. But who would buy these books?

3. Repurpose them. Make book wreaths!!!

So, I obviously chose option #3 and I am very pleased with the outcome.

Here's my tutorial on how to make a book wreath.

1. FIND A BOOK (or two).

I rummaged through several boxes to find a book that I would no

longer use and that would be great for making a book wreath.

I found a book and as I began to assemble my book wreath,

realized that my book was only going to cover half of the wreath.

So, it's best to have a backup incase you need extra sheets of paper to make this wreath.

2. PAINT THE EDGES.

You can choose whatever color of paint you want

to grace the edges of your book pages.

As you can see, I chose brown.

I watered down the paint and then took a paper towel

and rubbed the paint on the edges of the book.

The paint will dry in about 30 minutes.

3. RIP OUT THE PAGES.

This was the fun part, but a little depressing at the same time.

It almost felt like a crime for me to rip out pages of English

Literature from great writers like William Blake and Lord Byron.

But I feel that creating a book wreath out of their writings pays better

homage to them then letting them collect dust on the bookshelf or box.

So, I eventually allowed myself to rip out all the pages.

4. FOLD AND STAPLE.

This next step is a bit time consuming, but if you do all this work beforehand,

then gluing the pages onto the wreath won't take so long.

You want to fold your paper on the edge that has been ripped from the

book. The ripped side of the paper will be glued to the wreath, so that the

crisp and clean edges can be showcased on the wreath.

You will fold the ripped edge in an acordian style, folding back and forth every

inch or so. You can also make larger folds to add some more volume.

Please note that you just want to fold at the ripped edge.

Don't press down on these folds because the other end will have straight

linesrather than curvy lines. The pictures will show you what I mean.

After you've folded your paper, you will want to staple the end of paper to

keep all of the folds in place.

5. GLUE TO WREATH.

Once you have all these fan-like pages stapled, you can then glue

then to the wreath. I left the plastic wrapping on the straw wreath just

because I knew that I would have straw everywhere.

There's more than one way to glue the fans onto the wreath, but

as you start doing it, you will quickly learn what works for you.

The started from the back and glue the fans in front of each other.

I did not complete a full circle with the fans because it was unnecessary

and you're going to want the back to be somehwhat flat so that you can

hang this on the wall without it sticking out several inches.

This thing is huge and I'm still deciding where I should put it.

I've also been thinking of more ideas on how to repurpose

the books I will never use again.

I'll do a little experimenting between now and then!

Faith Like a Child

2011-04-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

This morning was truly a celebration of Christ's Resurrection at church.

Our numbers soared with all the visitors and families

and I found it difficult to know where to sit.

The most beautiful thing I saw this morning was the faith of a child.

This five-year-old brings much joy to everyone he meets.

As the congregation sang songs together,

I could hear his off-key voice above the rest.

As the congregation sang songs together,

he raised his hands and I found my heart swell.

With tears in my eyes I will still able to see a glimpse of heaven

through a boy's simple act of worship.

And though my heart rejoices for all of this,

I desperately want people to see beyond Easter,

to see beyond the cross and understand

that we not only celebrate his death

but his LIFE and the LIFE we can live in Him.

He is no longer on the cross.

He is no longer in the grave.

Yet so many times we keep him there.

And so many times we only bring him out on this day.

Easter is not about filling church pews out of religious obligation.

For why is Jesus more special on this day?

Is he not still alive every day of the year?

I would hope that people's celebration of Easter

would extend beyond the commercialization of it.

He deserves our full worship and should not

compete with marshmallow peeps and jelly beans.

Chocolate bunnies and plastic eggs.

I hope that we can celebrate the life that He is living

and not just the life that He lived.

May we have faith like a child and not care

if we sing off key or raise our hands in public.

For that's the kind of faith I want to have

every

single

day.

Friday's Goodness

2011-04-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I took four lovely 4th grade girls out for ice cream.

We also went to Lakeside Park in Mac and attempted to feed the ducks.

Wow. So much fun. Especially with these girls.

We all were very silly and used our British accents as much as possible!

People did give us weird looks,

but that only encouraged our odd behavior all the more!

I wore this outfit yesterday. And from pictures that I've taken in the past,

I realized that I wear this outfit a lot.

I have other flannel shirts in my closet, so I should probably rotate those in.

And the necklace I'm wearing was actually part of a shirt at one time.

I decided to cut the shirt for a necklace and use this weaved design as a necklace too.

And today I wore one of my favorite shirts.

This is my peacock shirt because I think it looks like peacock feathers.

Hmm..I should try my hand at making some sort of peacock necklace.

I'll have to see what I can come up with.

Last night I started and finished my first book wreath.

Pictures and tutorial will come soon.

If there's one thing I have to say about it: it's huge!

And I think it's pretty awesome.

Rico Suave

2011-04-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today at church we got a new color printer because our

current one will let us print in every color except black.

This is very annoying.

The brand of our new printer is a Ricoh.

I wasn't sure how to correctly say it,

so I decided to name the printer Rico Sauve.

I'm sure that this will be in many jokes around the office.

The weather was very dull here in Kansas,

but I managed to be very productive today.

And I needed to be.

Plus, tomorrow night is a huge night for me and

for the future of Children's Ministry at my church.

I've been rehearsing my presentation like crazy.

Skinny jeans: Target, Grey Shirt: Target,

Blue/White Checkered Shirt: Old Navy

Necklace: Target

And for my closing thoughts:

RICO

SUAVE!

(snap fingers)

(repeat as many times as desired)

Poufs Tutorial

2011-04-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

There's a NASCAR race on right now,

so unless I want to involuntarily fall asleep because of

repetitive sound of the car engines, I need to do something to

keep me preoccupied!

What better way than a tutorial on how to make poufs!

I made these several weeks ago and have worn them a couple of times.

In my attempt to use several different prints and fabrics to make the poufs,

I have discovered that a light fabric, like chiffon, works the best.

I rummaged through my closet and through my facebook albums to see

if I had a picture of the shirt I was going to use.

So, here's a picture of maybe the only time I wore this shirt.

This was taken at our pre-graduation party behind the Wholgy.

There's a lot of great colors in this shirt: pink, green, blue, and black.

Basically the colors that I wear all the time.

So I knew that I would be able to wear these poufs with many outfits.

Without futher ado...

1. CUT CIRCLES/OVALS.

I cut out a circle that was about 2 inches in diameter.

I placed several layers of fabric underneath the circle

so that the cutting process wouldn't take as long.

2. FOLD CIRCLES

Fold one circle at a time. Fold in half, then in half again.

It will look like part of a flower petal.

3. SEW PETALS TOGETHER

Get out your needle and thread.

Thread the needle through the fabric at the bottom where the fabric

has been folded ino the shape of a triangle.

Continue sewing the rest of your petals onto each other.

The only advice that I can give to you is to experiment with

the placement of all these petals.

The number of petals I used for each pouf differed.

On some I used more and on some I used less just because

of the way I arranged and placed the petals around each other.

But on average, I used anywhere from 12-16 petals for one pouf.

4. PREPARE THE BACK

I used my hot glue gun to glue a circle of black felt on the back of the pouf.

Then I glued an alligator hair clip to the back so that I could attach

the pouf to my clothes or to even put in my hair.

And there you have it!

Outlawed

2011-04-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Days like today should be outlawed.

This type of weather should know that it's not welcomed.

But to break up the monotony of the day,

I checked out some new blogs.

gardenofedendesigns.blogspot.com

seekatesew.blogspot.com

myfriendjules.blogspot.com

I've definitely seen some DIY crafts that I must try!

Especially the one tutorial where you take pages from an old book,

fold them accordian style, and then glue them to a straw wreath!

It almost looks like marigold!

Hmm...I might just have found myself a little project for this evening.

I brought the scarf back out today because it was windy and cold.

Everything else comes from Target. Go figure :)

Real Simple

2011-04-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today I got my May copy of the Real Simple magazine in the mail!

I thoroughly enjoy magazines because they are the

perfect combination of pictures and articles.

Sometimes I find it hard to sit down and read an entire book,

especially if there's no pictures.

So maybe there's some truth to why I have so

many kids' picture books on my desk at work.

For anyone who has not paged through a Real Simple magazine, do it!

I promise that it's worth the $24 a year subscription because

most of the issues they produce are 1/2 inch thick. No joke.

However, the issues are chalk full of advertisements.

I'm not sure the ratio of content and advertisements is,

but I usually rip out the double-sided advertisements on my first

run through of the magazine just so that in future page-throughs,

it won't take me so long to get to where I want to go.

Overall, Real Simple is a well-rounded composition of fashion trends,

new uses for old things, advice columns, speed-cleaning tips, life lessons

articles, beauty tips, decorating tips, health advice, money tips, and recipes.

Many times, it just makes life real simple.

Tornado Alley

2011-04-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to the Cosmosphere in Hutch to see the TIV

(Tornado Intercept Vehicle) and to watch Sean Casey's film, Tornado Alley.

It was a pretty fabulous experience!

And I'm glad I took the time to go do something very out of the ordinary.

P.S. I can't wait until the next season of Storm Chasers comes on!

The TIV is definitely not pretty or graceful or delicate.

But it's a beast. And it's seen its fair share of tornadoes!

I wish I could remember some of the facts about the TIV,

but at this moment they have all escaped my mind.

Changing the subject...

I also need to catch up on uploading pictures

of outfits I've worn in the past two days.

Here's today:

White pants: Target, Striped tank top: Old Navy, Purple cardigan: Forever 21.

I wore this outfit to church yesterday.

Blue pants: Target, Purple cami: Target, Floral cardigan: Target.

Hey! Another Target outfit!

At least the shoes (which aren't pictured) are from Payless.

Most Days...

2011-04-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Most days I feel like a bizarre case study.

Most days I try to diagnose my abnormal behaviors.

Most days I think I've figured myself out.

And then I prove my own theories wrong.

At my worst, I'm

stubborn &

rebellious &

abrasive.

At my best, I'm

selfless &

courteous &

thoughtful.

And most days, I'm both.

Oh what a tangled web we weave.

Yesterday was refreshing to spend my time at a coffee shop.

I wish most days could be like this.

Most days I wake up with crazy hair.

Today was no different.

And most days I plan my outfits around what shoes I will wear.

Most days.

Wednesday Wit

2011-04-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

I liked today.

Today was good.

Why?

I wore a summery canvas shirt that I just love.

I ate lunch with a 3rd grade girl that I adore.

I went to the city pasture to relax and feel the wind in my hair.

Our meal at Awanas tonight was chicken nuggets,

mashed potatoes with white gravy, and green beans.

I'll take that any night!

I had the chance to hug kids and put smiles on their face.

I have plans to take a 4th grade girl out for ice cream

because she's been helping me clean up after Awanas.

I watched American Idol.

The hyacinth and daffodils are blooming!

I get to sleep in tomorrow.

I will be working from a cozy and quiet coffee shop tomorrow.

Life is full. And life is good.

New Necklace

2011-04-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last night, while watching the men's NCAA basketball game,

(wish Butler's shots could have gone in)

I jazzed up one of my black necklaces by adding some antique

gold beads to the ribbons.

I still really love the adjustable factor of the beads.

It makes it much easier to create the look that I want.

New Use for Mirrors

2011-04-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

I figured out a new use for one of my mirrors on accident.

I believe that I was rearranging some things in my room,

and sat some items on top of the mirror,

and discovered a really sleek new use for my mirror.

I bought the tall, dark purple glass vase for 25 cents at a garage sale

and the Eiffel Tower glass vase was a birthday gift.

The purple vase and marbles are from the flower shop I used to work at

and I made the flower arrangement in the tea cup at work too!

And these simple, yet sleek decorations sit atop my green dresser/cabinet.

Love it. Love it. Love it!

Weekend Threads and Ribbons

2011-04-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took advantage of half price beads at Hobby Lobby.

I bought a variety of different colored wood beads to add onto my necklaces.

I like how they turned out.

The thing I love most about the beads is that they are movable.

That way, depending on the look you want, you can adjust it however.

And I really like the outfit I wore yesterday.

Flannel shirts are a staple during these transitioning times,

especially with Kansas weather being as tempermental as it is.

And I took my skinny jeans and rolled them up into capris.

Then I topped it up with my every comfy TOMS.

Birthday Celebration

2011-04-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my mom's birthday.

We've celebrated a little bit yesterday and little bit today.

Yesterday I made her supper.

And even helped wash dishes.

Usually if I make the meal, I don't have to do dishes.

But I was feeling generous and offered my skills.

We enjoy open-faced sandwiches and this is a classic one that I make.

Take a slice of french bread, spread on some poppyseed dressing, slice some onions, add some deli meat, and spinach leaves, and top it off with some mozzarella cheese and BAM! you have a really good sandwich.

No to mention fresh strawberries with a dipping sauce composed of cool whip and mayo. May sound weird, but it's good.

Lately I've been on a cinnamon & sugar dessert kick

and last night was no different.

I took the cresent roll dough and spread some butter on it, then sprinkled a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on it, rolled it up and let it bake for 12 minutes. All of that combined = gooey goodness.

Let's just say that when the night was through, there were none left.

We love our veggies too, but I cannot take credit for making the dish because it comes pre-packaged and frozen from Schwans.

Today for lunch we (mom, dad, Aunt Doris, Uncle Gordon, and myself) went to Salina to eat at Hong Kong Buffet. Whenever we make trips to Salina we always eat here because it's a good variety of Asian cuisine. Plus it's close to all the good shopping places on Ninth Street.

Then we walked off our meal at the mall and Target.

And since this blog is a blend of fashion, DIY, and life, here's pictures of the clothes I bought.

The dress is from Target and the smock is from Old Navy.

The bottom two tank tops are also from Old Navy.

I'm ready for spring and summer!

The good weather has started today and I hope it's here to stay!

My New Best Friend

2011-03-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

So, I have a new best friend.

This friendship started a long time ago,

but it's recently become something more.

It's none other than my hot glue gun.

How else would I make crafts without it?

Today I made two new versions of the jersey necklaces.

I wanted to add something to these necklaces, but I just wasn't sure what. That was until I found an old ring that I don't wear anymore.

So, I threaded the ribbons through the ring one by one and glued the ends together. I can either wear it loose or twisted. Either way, I think the "bling" adds a little bit of sophistication to an otherwise very casual necklace.

I also added some flare to a dull grey necklace. And voile! (The "e" needs an accent mark.)

I had been trying to figure out how to improve this grey necklace when I started wrapped some white ribbon around it. I thought it looked cool and made it more sturdy by gluing the white ribbon to the grey ribbons at different spots. The necklace is very versatile because I can wear it long and I can also wear it short by doubling it up. I'm wearing it now because I like it so much.

And so my friendship continues with my glue gun.

I hope it's one that lasts for a very long time.

P.s. I hope that Casey Abrams from American Idol is safe tonight!

Way Back Wednesday: Simple Pleasures

2011-03-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

I wanted to find a picture from my past that would make me laugh.

Ah yes. Simple Pleasure detergent.

This was sophomore year at Tabor.

If I recall correctly, Ginger, Linzy and I were incredibly bored and decided to go on a random adventure trip to Newton. We made many stops including Sonic, Mokas (which was closed), Drubers (which was closed), Walmart, and Arby's. Oh, and a park with playground. I remember falling down on the half pipe because it was cold and icy.

Those were some great times.

Wandering around aimlessly.

Gratifying our impulsive nature.

Totally oblivous to anything around us.

Enjoying every moment.

I miss those days when responsibility didn't dictate your schedule for the day.

When you could watch The Lord of the Rings Trilogy all day.

When you could go to the caf and eat a waffle for all three meals of the day.

Simple pleasures that we take for granted.

Balance in life is crucial.

I realize this more each day.

I just wish I was better at it.

Here's my office. And my outfit.

Luckily I stood in front of the piles that I have scattered across the counter.

It's a little scary in there sometimes.

Tomorrow, I'm sleeping in.

And I will enjoy the simple pleasure of hitting the snooze.

The Sun Will Come Out...Tomorrow?

2011-03-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Sun,
Please come out. Soon. I have spring fever. I wanted to wear capris and sandals yesterday but you wouldn't let me. If you could take care of all the piles of papers I have on my desk at work, it would be greatly appreciated. That is all.
Sincerely, Ashley

I would really love the sun to peak through the clouds and shine its face. Things have just seemed to be creeping along and I'm ready for the weather to give me a boost. Friday's temperatures and lack of cloud cover appear to be promising, which is good because the family and I plan to go to Salina for some fun! Other than that, I've enjoyed my evening by watching Biggest Loser and getting a head start on a project.

Here's the outfit of the day with one of my jersey necklaces.

Graphic Shirt: Target. Biege Cardigan: Old Navy. Belt: Forever21. Black Jersey Necklace: Hand-made!

Jersey Necklace Tutorial

2011-03-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

This crafty "upcycling" project is so much fun! I have found myself going through my closet several, several times to find shirts that I don't wear very much in attempts to reincarnate them as a necklace. I have found that the ideal jersey necklace will be created with shirts that have no side hems. Otherwise, all other shirts will have hems on both sides. This is still okay. I will later explain how this "hem factor" will play out in the final product.

1. PICK YOUR SHIRT. You must pick some sort of t-shirt/jersey blend shirt because the material must be able to stretch. I picked this green t-shirt that I used to wear during the summers at Prairie View. These types of shirts don't have side hems and work the best when creating a necklace.

2. LINE UP THE BOTTOM HEM. You will need to line up the bottom hem so that both layers lay flat on top of each other. Cut off the hem. You wont' need it.

3. CUT "RIBBONS." Proceed to cut the shirt into "ribbons" that are 1 inch to 1.5 inches wide.

4. STRETCH THE "RIBBONS." Once the shirt is cut into "ribbons," stretch the "ribbons" as far as they material will let you. The "ribbons" will curl and look like this. (This shirt had side hems.)

5. ASSEMBLE YOUR NECKLACE. This is where you use your creativity. When you assemble your necklace or necklaces, you can choose whatever colors or designs of "ribbons" you want to use. I will show you some different options that I've made.

This is the necklace I created out of my green tshirt.

You can see that it is seemless.

This necklace is made from a black tank top that I had. This tank top had seems on the side. I cut the fabric where the seems and as a result, you get a shorter necklace. Originally, I tied the two ends of the "ribbons" together but then it got bulky. So, I grabbed my hot glue gun and glued the two ends together like this:

Add some hot glue to the end of the "ribbon."

Then place the other end of the "ribbon" on top of the glue and close.

Be careful! The glue is hot!

You will need to hide the part of the "ribbon" that you have glued together, so pick another ribbon and wrap it around all the "ribbons." Tie it and hide the excess underneath the "ribbons" around it.

As I've been making these, I've also thought about adding some larger beads to the "ribbons" to add some more dimension and glitz. I hope to go to Hobby Lobby sometime this week (because it's half price jewelry week) and find some beads that would work so I can take pictures of the ideas in my brains.

Hope all of these instructions make sense!

Sunday. Snow. Super Savings.

2011-03-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was in the mood to go hunting for garage sales, but it's still a bit early for that season. So, I found a happy medium and made my way to Goodwill in hopes of some cheap finds. And yes, I was successful.

I found about 10 different sized picture frames that I plan on using to decorate the Drama Workshop room at church. When the weather gets nicer, I will set up shop on the back patio, sand these frames down and paint them black. Here's some pictures I found online that inspired me.

I also found a bunch of skirts for $3 each. That means that I have a lot of fabric to make a lot of cute accessories with. I was so excited about all the possibilities that I gave into my impulses to cut and sew and glue. I went to bed way after midnight still with ideas floating around my head of things that I want to create.

At the top of my list of things to create: jersey t-shirt necklaces! I've been wondering how to accessorize outfits in the summer without scarves, so I believe that this will be a much "cooler" alternative. I will be happily cutting and snipping away at old t-shirts this afternoon in an attempt to stay awake while I simultaneously watch NASCAR and KU Basketball. Here's an example of one of these fabulous necklaces.

And, to close out the post, here's another Target outfit. However, the scarf was given to me as a gift. The scarf was given to me anonymously from someone in church. There was a note attached saying that they had noticed how often I wear scarves and that this one would be a great addition to my collection. Very sweet.

Hand-dipped White Chocolate Pretzels Tutorial

2011-03-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

These delicious little guys are one of my favorite things to make and to eat. I love the combination of salty and sweet together. Sometimes I find myself unconsciously eating a whole bunch while watching tv. Yikes.

Now believe me when I say that ANYONE can make these, even husbands and kiddos. From start to finish it took me 30 minutes to make these. Clean up is easy and there is no oven involved! Here's what you'll need to get started:

1. PRETZELS. I personally think that the "snaps" work best. You can find this in the chip aisle at Walmart. (If that's where your Walmart puts the pretzels.)

2. ALMOND BARK. Buy the white chocolate flavored kind. I've experimented with the milk chocolate flavored kind and did not enjoy it as much. White chocolate is a must. You can find this at Walmart in the cooking notions aisle where all the cake mixes and muffin mixes and jello and baking supplies are.

3. GLASS BOWL. Since an oven is not involved, you will be melting the almond bark in the microwave.

4. WAX PAPER. One time I put the dipped pretzels on a cookie sheet and I had so many casualties when I scraped them off the sheet. Wax paper works the best because the pretzels pop right off when the chocolate has hardened.

5. SPOON. You'll need a spoon to stir the lumps out of the melted chocolate.

6. KNIFE. You'll need a knife to cut the almond bark into smaller pieces. (Picture below)

I learned the hard way how tempermental almond bark is. I had never used it before until just a couple months ago and really had no clue what to do. I first decided to melt in a nonstick pan on the stove on low heat, but I scorched the melted goop so bad that I had to throw it out. So, just melt it in the microwave. It's much easier to control the consistency better.

On the back of the package it will tell you how long to microwave the almond bark. It's 90 seconds the first time. Stir. Then microwave for 15 second intervals and stir in between until you get the consistency that you want. The amount of almond bark you use (I only used half a package) will determine how many times you nuc it.

While the almond bark was melting away, I set up my table with the pretzels and wax paper. Once I had the right consistency, I just started dipping away. I only covered half of the pretzel because I didn't want too much chocolate to overpower the pretzel. Here's what the finished product looks like:

And there's your hand-dipped white chocolate pretzels! Happy dipping!

Awkward & Awesome

2011-03-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

AWKWARD
>Last night Inman had a scheduled power outtage that started at 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. this morning. Tuesday had been very windy and while I was at work, the lights flickered several times and we lost power for about 30 minutes. So, I believe there was a blown transformer that needed to be fixed, so Westar chose to shut down all power in Inman for 7 hours. It was awkward to deal with no electricity. I had to think ahead and make sure that I had everything in place before 11 o'clock hit so I wouldn't stumble around the house.

>I have mindlessly misplaced my camera-to-computer-picture-sender-device. This has made it very inconvient to upload pictures to my computer. After emptying my purse several times and cleaning my desk at work, I still cannot find it. So, after much distress and frustration, I decided to pull out my old camera and USB cable and connect it to my computer and upload pictures the old way. Grumble. Grumble.

>I rummaged through my closet to find shirts that I don't wear on a regular basis. I've posted two pictures of shirts I hardly wear, but still like. I need help figuring out what I could do to revamp or "upcycle" them. I find it awkward to wear them because they just don't fit exactly the way I would like them to. Any thoughts?

AWESOME

>I am oh so grateful that Casey Abrams was saved on American Idol last night! I couldn't believe that he had accumulated the least amount of votes this week because I think his talent far surpasses any of the other contestants. So, I'm glad that his semi-professional career can continue on national television.

>If you've ever seen the show Storm Chasers you'll know what the TIV is. You may know what the TIV is even if you haven't seen the show. It stands for Tornado Intercept Vehicle and it's coming to the Kansas Cosmosphere on April 11th (which is in Hutch). I love watching the show and seeing these crazy meteorologists hunt tornadoes all across the Midwest. The Cosmosphere will actually be giving away free rides in the TIV to all who enter the contest on facebook. I entered the contest and have my fingers crossed!

>Today I made a delicious treat for my workshop leaders at church. This is something that I've done every month since September. I will post pictures and even a tutorial tomorrow on how to make these hand-dipped white chocolate pretzels. They are super easy and fast to make and even better to eat!

>I completed a DIY project today and I will post pictures and a tutorial later this weekend on how to make super cute poufs! I have a lot of material, so I will probably even give some away to those of you who want some!

One final note: the Friday outfit. I call this my Valentine's Day outfit because I wore it on Valentine's Day. Original. I know. Needless to say, whenever these two items are paired together, I will always think of Valentine's Day.

Silver Shoes: Payless. Socks: Walmart. Jeans: Buckle. Black Polka-dot Shirt: Old Navy. Red Cardigan: Maurices.

Looking forward to posting some tutorials this weekend!

Weather in Kansas

2011-03-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Being a Kansas native, I know that I should expect the weather to never be consistent or to even be what I would like it to be. I have two prime examples of this situation. Today. Today is cold compared to the past 3 days and there was even frost on my car this morning! I put most of my winterish clothes away, but I still have a few accessible flannel shirts stored in my closet, so that's what I went with today.

Jeans: Target. Grey Shirt: Target. Flannel Shirt: Target. Scarf: Target. Yes, today is a Target day. This happens a lot and I'm glad it does.

I dug out some closed-toe shoes this morning and slipped on my TOMS which are super comfy but also leave the bottom of my socks brown because of the leather sole in them. Weird.

The second example of Kansas' odd, bipolar weather happened this weekend when I went to KC with Linzy to see some other college friends. For some reason I didn't pack for the weekend appropriately. I believe I looked at the weather for Inman and not for Kansas City. My mistake. The weather was chilly and drizzly and I was definitely unprepared. Luckily my toes didn't fall off and Kassie let me borrow one of her jackets.

I also want to add some pictures that I took from this weekend, which wasn't too many, but they are of us girls at a 'Stampin Up' workshop. These workshops allow you to make beautiful cards with your friends and it was a great way to spend the evening. Hopefully I'll remember to take some close up pictures of the cards later, but for now this is all.

The weather app on my phone tells me that it's only 28 degrees outside. It also tells me that the high for today will be 53. Tomorrow should be slightly warmer, but the next couple of days not so much. Guess I'll have to keep wearing jeans and closed-toe shoes and flannel shirts :)

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things...

2011-03-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

So this is my first post on my blog! I'm probably more excited than I should be. I'll do my best to contain myself and save some information for future posts.

Here's why I've decided to blog:
I enjoy writing about life.
I enjoy reading my friends' blogs.
I enjoy reading my friends' blogs about life.
I enjoy shopping.
I enjoy reading fashion blogs.
I want to write about life and fashion and how to be nifty and crafty and thrifty. Phew.

Sidenote: I also want to intentionally shy away from talking too much about job/ministry (which I love) because I don't want my blog to be about the daily ins-and-outs of my career. Being in ministry, there are certain things that I cannot disclose publically and I do not want to give myself space for a blunder on this type of platform. That's why I keep a journal :)

My vision for this blog is one of creativity...an outlet where I can spill my innovative ideas or attempt to revamp a dresser that I bought at a flea market or whatever may decide to show up. I love clothes so some outfits may show up on the blog, and I love to make crafts, so some of those might show up, and I love DIY projects and have a few going on at the moment that I will share in later blogs.

Here's a few pictures to get started with.
First off, my closet. A mecca of colors. Some time later I would like to take a picture of all my scarves!
And yes, I do arrange and organize my clothes by color. How else would I know where anything is?

And this is my outfit for the day. I haven't quite figured out the timer on the camera so I'll work on that later.

This outfit is a classic "Ashley" outfit because it has all the things I love: skinny jeans, cardigans, belts, and scarves. I've seen other people indicate where they purchased their items, so I will conform and do as well. It will be good exercise for me to try and remember where I got everything. Or, I could just look at the tag.

Jeans: Target. Shirt: JCPenney. Cardigan: Forever21. Belt: Forever21. Scarf: Walmart.