With Valentine’s Day close I want to talk about it. OK, write about it.Β βΊ
If you didn’t know that Valentine’s Day is this Saturday you probably haven’t open any online media or social network, they tend to go more and more hyper about this day as it approaches. I’m not gonna go in the “hate it or love it” debate, neither I’m gonna say that whether single or in a relationship you don’t need a day to appreciate people you love, and most definitely I won’t say that you as a person are so incredible and enough and whole even tho I mean it. Ops, I said it. π
I’m just gonna say something.
Valentine’s Day is like Santa for adults.
It’s made by companies to make us buy moreΒ shit stuff.
Lets be honest, if companies could make 10 more “holidays” just to sell specific items – they would do it! They would. Like in that song…
“What’s love gotta do with it, gotta do with it…”
Almost nothing. The thing that is good from it that it is a reminder not to take our loved ones for granted. And also, we all love getting stuff. I know I do. π
If you have zero balance on your account but still want to give something to your loved one(s), I will share the pillow I made for my friend’s baby girl. It was the first time I tried this specific sewing method so it turned out GREAT. You can use any fabric you want, as long as it is easy to sew… Oh, and you’re gonna need to cut open a few of your stuffed animals. You’re gonna feel sorry (At least I did) but it’s for the greater good. π
I took a red cotton shirt and cut out the edges. Then I wrote her name following the lines I placed with thin black marker. Then I made the shape of a heart inside out and sew it that way, it just looks better when you do it that way. In the bag next to it on the third photo is my “stuffing”. I left the bottom open, turn the heart on the right side, place the stuffing and then sew the end by hand.
Finished! π The baby body next to it was the other part of my gift. I decoupaged the lines from my friend’s favorite show The Big Bang Theory. π
Many people don’t like Christmas music we are bombarded from the end of November. (For the love of God, that’s not even in December!) Of course we don’t like it, it’s TOO MUCH. So, guess what? I don’t listen to radio. I just don’t. I have freedom of actions that helps me turn off the radio. I turn it on or go on Christmas playlist when I feel like it, most likely on Christmas Eve.
On certain places I can’t avoid it that’s for sure. But I tend to go shopping in smaller stores so I am not stuck there for an hour listening to “Jingle Bells” 20 times. XD
Other things are decorations. We are lucky, here in Zagreb, government does not light the street decorations until December 1st. And it’s lovely to see some lights and stars and stuff you don’t get to see all year while the weather is so cold it is promising snow. π
The one thing that makes me love this part of year is the fact you can UNLEASH your inner creative self. π‘
And for a creative bundle of ideas like me, that’s awesome! π Pull out your colored papers, scissors, glue, all sorts of paint, candles, sprays…. Go nuts with it! You can make your own decorations, you can make presents for other people, you can just plain entertain yourself….For Do It Yourself or DIY this is an awesome part of year. π
I already made some stuff (for Christmas and non-related) and since I am so behind in presenting it here, I will do a different post. With all the pictures, I promise π
I have two bamboo plants and I got them as a present. They are still alive and well. π Well, they are called lucky bamboo, we wouldn’t want luck to die, wouldn’t we? π
So, when I saw this self adhesive photo in a store I HAD to buy it. First of all, it looks beautiful. And second, as if I need it, is that I am in love in all paintings that divide, proof here: MAGICAL COMBINATION
Since I won’t be doing anything related this year, it is reblog time! I was really pumped up about it last two years because it didn’t really catch on here as a “holiday” up until last few years… So, I carved pumpkins. And I planned costume and went to Halloween parties, but I am yet to be something scary for Halloween. I went as Audrey Hepburn, maybe that’s scary for someone. π
I had no blog then, but I did last year (it was 4 months old awwww) so I posted about it. Enjoy π
Hi! I am in such a rush that I only have time to upload few pictures of a pumpkin I carved. π I will do a detailed post when I catch the time, hopefully on Saturdayβ¦ π
Hello yβall! π I finally found the time to finish this postβ¦
A week laterβ¦ beter than never. π
Soβ¦ Iβll explain what I did:
First I sketch the outline of mine carving of choice β cat silhouette. Then I realised that I have placed it to high, erase everything with sponge and sketch again. π Second thing to do is the most annoyingβ¦ Taking out the inside of the pumpkin. I have no proper tools, so I used knife and spoon, and later on smaller knife for carving. After about an hour my pumpkin was ready for carving. Despiteβ¦
I am bringing this to Fiesta FridayΒ #33 at Angie’sΒ β€ . For bonus points; Count how many times I have written “coconut” π
Few days ago I was walking through a local grocery store and stopped at the fruit/vegetable section. There it was. Coconuts. Whole coconuts, dirt on them, straight from the… I don’t know from where coconuts come from but I know it’s somewhere nice and warm and beachy – nothing like here. Yes I am mad about the promise made to me by nature that we will have four seasons here, one of them called SUMMER and I was let down this year. There was no summer. π¦ There was a bit of nice weather just to make it in the cities more south. Here, in my drawer, I have an angry bathing suit who did not see the daylight this year and an equally angry owner who didn’t get to wear it.
This was all necessary so you can understand the excitement and nostalgia when I saw coconuts. 6 kunas per piece (just above 1 $). After me and bf had our fun by shaking the coconut to hear the water inside, I decided to buy one. I’ve never had a “straight from the tree” coconut and I saw my opportunity. π
After initially telling me that I wouldn’t possibly be able to open it (so supportive) bf went on YouTube to search how to open a coconut. Turns out, pretty easy. I drilled holes by hand with corkscrew in the darker spots on top (I guess that’s where the coconut is attached to the tree) and voila, I could pour the water out. It is recommended to filter the water before drinking it, but that didn’t stop me to drink it straight from the coconut and pretending I had just find my source of water on a deserted island. Β Water tasted refreshing and sweet, with coconut flavor (shock!). It’s pretty delicious.Β πΈ
Next step was to crack the coconut open.Β I had a few issues opening it and at one point it became a family activity. π You have to grab a hammer and do a little hit in one line in the middle of coconut all the way around and it just gives up after a while. I was lucky it opened perfectly so now I have two sides of coconut and I will do something fun and decorative with it. π
Bf got everything out with a knife and I peeled off the crust left on the pieces. We ended up with a surprisingly big amount of coconut based on a size of it. Since I figured we won’t munch the whole thing and it had to be in water the whole time I searched on YouTube for what can I do with it. Turns out, a lot. Have you ever tried or heard about coconut oil? It is awesome to use instead of regular oil and it benefits your body a lot. I wanted however to make coconut flour so I found this helpful video;
My original thought was to make coconut milk, but since I don’t have a blender that flew off the table. Anyway, I followed instructions in the video and got this;
You can use itΒ for making all sorts of cakes, it goes into anything coconuty and I know you can even make bread from it. I donβt know how that tastes, but you canβ¦ What was left was this coconut oily water and then I decided to make oil. I knew it would be a silly small amount but I was interested if I could do it. And yes, indeed, I can do it. π
Again I just followed the video – waited for the oily part to divide from the water, gather it with spoon in bowl and cook until the pieces of coconut turned brown. I ended up with a few spoons of home-made coconut oil.
This is half-eaten π
I encourage you to go on this adventure. I can’t believe how easy it was and how expensive coconut oil and flour is in the store. I think I will be making some more. π
p.s. I made home-made Bounty a while ago, so this coconut story is not over! π
This is definitely a catch, because I wanted something exactly like this (I even had found the DIY instructions that I will share) and then got them as a present!
Amazing. π
I can change the fabric… I love them.
DIY instructions for regular flip-flops (click the image):
I was busy busy busy in the holidays, as everyone else. And I had a plan to post some things on blog which I managed, but I did not had time to properly sit down and go through my Christmas photos. Especially the decorations I made! I posted about amazing Do It Yourself ideas for the holidays…and I have tried one! π – The rose from orange/clementine one, of course, hehe.
It ended up being very easy to make so we continued to make them for decoration even after Xmas. And by “we continued making them” I meant that I forced everyone to peel oranges like this. Poor people. π
I love how this decoration is visually very appealing with its bright orange color, plus the scent of freshly peeled orange fills the space… I recommend using it while the orange season is still here.
I know you are dying to see how I incorporated peeled oranges into decorations for holidays, so I’ll grant your wish. π
The orange rose incorporated in my Christmas decoration made from pine branches, plastic decorations (apple, snowflake), red string with beads covered with snow spray and powder sugar.
Tea lights on the turned-over glass. In the glass is also a Christmas ornament. π
Full view with LED lights just folded around to make it look natural and festive at the same time.
It is indeed foggy in Croatia today, but I love it. Why? Because, according to meteorological informations, the proper winter is finally coming! FINALLY! Even though they are the same ones who said this year winter is “going to be the coldest in decades”, and they posted few weeks ago an article about “very cold front coming” and none of that had happened, I want to believe them this time.
It was spring-like Christmas and recent temperatures are around 15 Β Β°C, I can’t wait for the real deal. No, really, spring-like winter is terrible. Not just because it should be winter, but the warm front makes everyone agitated, nervous and grumpy and we have a number of diseases like cold and flu going around like cruising on a party. And I also saw a fly the other day. A fly! What is next? A mosquito??!!!! π
So… To spark some creative mind cells in you my dear readers I bring this tutorial for a handbag. I would use it for grocery shopping but it is so cute that it can pass as daytime bag. I hope you like it, usually I post something that inspired me and do my own version, but I don’t think I will get my hands on this type of material soon, so I posted it for you.
If you decide to make it, you know already that you MUST send me photos.. π I would love to see it. π
I took the photo from a website www.youexif.com so feel free to check out other craft ideas they have.
This year I was surfing a lot through ideas for decorating with some sort of rope or yarn… I already have grapevine balls for my tree that go regularly on it, but it is different when you can and have time to make something on your own. It’s better. π
I am interested in these type of ornaments because:
a) It is CHEAP. I mean, you literary spend minimal amount of money
b) It’s fun and you can make it however you like and the color you like it in.
So, the tutorial. I was searching one for the Christmas balls and found in this video exactly what I wanted to show you. If do make time to make them on my own, I won’t have time to post and blog as much through the holidays, so I’m putting it now. π
For the other decorations I have asked very nice lady from FB to send me the photos of her little – but awesome project. And she did. Thanks ViΕ‘nja! π
So there it is:
All that you need is aluminum foil, bowl, rope, glue (glue for wood) and spray. First you put the foil over the bowl and then start to make shapes with rope soaked in glue. When you are satisfied you leave it to dry, spray the paint you want and there you go. Your very own DIY decorative bowl!
I like wrapping presents. Ok, that is a huge underestimating. I looooooooove wrapping presents. π That is more interesting to me sometimes than the actual present hahahaha…
I love making something that is not – wrapping presents so from the outside they appear to be something that they are not. My bf knows the joy of that very well. :mr green: Two years ago for his b-day I have made/bought him a custom-made t-shirt and put it in cookie package and put everything so they seem to be not opened. The funny thing is, he was actually happy with getting cookies, but could not understand why I insisted that he opens them RIGHT NOW. π This year, I’ve bought him a wallet and wanted to do the big box – small box thing, when you open big box and then small and smaller… I had a lot of luck and he accidentally left his old wallet at my place and I packed everything, the big box, the paper and decoration paper inside, smaller box and inside his old wallet. He was unwrapping the thing for 15 minutes (he likes to sloooooooowly unwrap, I’m more of a cut it all person π )… The look on his face when he saw his old wallet after all the trouble and laughing was priceless. I said, ok, you don’t want that one and gave him the new wallet.
So, he is quite familiar with my little scams muahahaha π
Anyway back to the “do it myself” part featured in this post. This was a chocolate box I wanted to turn into my master piece. π I knew what I wanted on it (japanese spring flower) and found a picture. Then I sketched the outlines and painted the whole thing as I wanted. For the box I knew tempera will be a difficult choice because the material is too smooth for it. But! I wanted that kind of uneven look, somewhere more white, somewhere more black. I always tend to take on challenges… When it starts to look difficult, I go in “bring it on” mode.
Ok, and for the bow/ribbon part I found easy tutorial and it came out good. It would be even better if the material of the ribbon was softer.
This was a present I packed for my friend, I call her Princess so the little box says “Princeza”. π The box is btw from a dairy spread haha π
Anyway this is my little joy and I have fun with it… What about you, do you like it or hate it? Tell meΒ βΊ
Loving Iva | Liberating My Creative Soul 