Monday, December 26, 2011

Airbrush Makeup

For Christmas, I received an airbrush makeup kit. This will now allow me to expand my makeup business to a larger customer base. I will update rates very soon on the rates page. This makeup is sweat-proof, splash-proof, long wearing, and water resistant.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Mirror Double Time

I found a new use for those small mirrors (from the Dollar Store) that I used to have scattered on my wall in an abstract design. This time, though, because I live in an apartment, I don't want to stick them to the wall (just in case) so I put them together for a small display on my dining table. On top I put fake tea light candles, but you could put a dish, etc. I really like this idea because the individual mirrors can double as a coaster for drinks.

Hint: Use an odd number of mirrors.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Gaga for Goodwill!

After receiving the IKEA catalog yesterday in the mail, I was inspired to start planning for my future apartment/house (but I think apartment). I haven't been working so I want to be very careful of how I spend my money and I also love diy projects... so I decided to venture into my local Goodwill not expecting to find much. I was so wrong and found soo0o many things! My plan is to clean the items and re-furbish them so they are my style. My priorities while shopping were the condition of the item and the lines/shape/structure of the item. I bought:
  • A striped armchair with short wooden legs
  • 3 bronze decorative lamp bases
  • A wooden chair with a padded cushion with straight clean lines
  • 3 decorative pieces of art (picture frames/mirror)
  • A medium sized chest
Here are pics of some items before their renovations:


This framed hanging mirror was $0.99!
I can paint the frame if I'd like.

This chest was the most expensive item at $19.00!
I can paint the chest, but I actually like this color. I can use this as a coffee table or I can use it at the foot of my bed to store blankets, extra pillows, etc.

These 3 bronze lamps were collectively $15.
They provided me with a bulb in the store to test them to make sure they were in working condition. These did not come with shades, but that's great for me because I can now pick my own. I plan on spray painting these silver.

Why would I want second hand furniture?
Second hand furniture is not for everyone. Personally I don't think I would want a second hand couch or bed, but all these other items are fine with me.
1.
You can save lots of money. Just look through your fav furniture catalog, take a picture of what you like on your phone, when you're out just look for pieces that are of similar size, shape, and structure. You can do the finishing touches later.
2.
If a piece of furniture has lasted 20/30 years and is still in good condition, that's saying something about how things were made back then. The piece was made right and probably isn't going to fail any time soon. Now, practically everything that is obtainable within a budget is made in bulk at a warehouse. These pieces don't have as long of a life span as the other REAL stuff. Dressers used to be wood instead of particle board etc. Might as well get real materials especially if it's cheaper.
3. You can have a say on your piece of furniture. Not every piece of furniture comes in your exact shade/color/ fabric you're looking for. Take this as an opportunity to make your space your own and not an exact replica from Pottery Barn.
4.
Finally, if you're like me, you will take great pride in your piece that you created. It's a great conversation starter and is a tribute to what you're capable of doing.
5. This is probably the simplest way to recycle. Give some life to something old. Old doesn't always mean bad.

How much did all your stuff cost? Everything turned out to be less than $50 all together!!! The chest alone would have been $50 from a chain retailer.

Have you ever re-furbished a piece of furniture/art? Comment below and let me know what you did! Attach a link to a pic if you have one.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Guacamole

I've been craving some fresh guacamole so I looked up a few recipes for basic ingredients and did my own thing. This is great for summer picnics, Jersey Shore Thursdays, fire nights, good with beer or margaritas... etc. You will need:
  • 2 Avocados
  • 1/4 of a medium onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 a lime (juice)
First slice your avocados in half (long ways) and remove the pit. You can do this by quickly taking the knife and making like you're going to slice the pit. Instead the knife will get stuck in the pit a little, so just twist the knife so the pit turns as well and then remove the pit out. The pit will easily come off the knife as well.

Then grid your avocados with the knife so that when you take a spoon to scoop the avocado out of it's shell, it's already in pieces and is easier to mash up. Do this and put it in a bowl.


Finely chop the onion and garlic and add that to the mixture.
A trick to chopping garlic and to remove it of it's paper like cocoon is to take the clove with the back of a spoon on top. You could use the side of your knife as well for this. Apply enough pressure so that the garlic opens and is easier to work with.


Add some salt and pepper and squeeze the lime of all it's juice.


Take a potato masher and mash it all together.


Taste test and add more ingredients as you please or leave as is.
Voila!

Serves about 4-6 people for a light snack.
Cost: $10

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Dresser Double Duty

Again, going on the idea that my room is a closet, (almost literally considering most of my stuff is clothing, shoes, etc.) I need to occupy every inch of vertical space that I can. I have most recently attacked my bare dresser sides.

What is it? Gasp! It's another one of those darn Command Hooks. Do you see a trend here? I used a command hook to help me easily locate some clutches so they don't wind up on the floor.
Cost? $3 for hook
What is it? Ok. So I know this isn't one of the cutest ideas, but it's practical and I needed space -_-. I bought a bin from Target for $5 and used my handy command strips to hang this basket on the side of my dresser closest to my bed. I am using it for socks because 1. I have ran out of space in my "top drawer". Victorias Secret has taken over my underwear drawer. 2. Don't you ever get cold feet in the winter and you don't want to get out of bed to grab some socks? 3. I had no where else to put my socks.
But you can put whatever you want in it... remotes for the tv, water bottle, reading materials, etc. Use your imagination. Whatever it is though, make sure you support it with enough command strips.
Cost? $5 for bin, I already had command strips.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Put Your Clothes in a FOLDer

Tell me if this sounds familiar...You wake up for work/school and need an outfit quick, and you think "Ahh I have nothing to wear"!... when really you know you have a plethora of pieces available.

Maybe you will like to try this trick. I take pictures of outfit options so when I need something quick for work, I can go to my "Teaching Outfits" folder and get some ideas. Here are samples of what I did last year:

Also, this can help with a future shopping list. What do I need now? What am I missing in my wardrobe? From these pictures alone, I would say homegirl needs more pieces with color. But I've since done lots of shopping and have expanded my options.

Finally, while browsing through my pics from last year, I see pieces that have some how vanished from my life... time to get to the bottom of the laundry bin to dig out some perfectly good pieces.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Mirror, Mirror, You're Not a Mirror at All

Back at my fav bargain stomping grounds, Dollar Tree, I came across these faceted mirrored candle plates. My room doesn't have candles for various reasons (no visitors, no horizontal space, etc.) but I still liked the candle plates for a different reason. I created a mirror mosaic on my wall to reflect light and make my room feel not as small.

How did I do it? I put command strips on each side of each mirror and placed them semi-equidistant to each other to create a mosaic affect. I only purchased three at the time, but could have continued with this design. Notice how 2 are vertical and 1 is horizontal. Mix it up! Tip: First lay out your design on a flat surface to get an idea for how your design will translate on to the wall.

How long did this take? 10 mins. max.
Cost? $3 for mirrors and command strips I already had

Thursday, July 28, 2011

My Room is a Zoo

Yes, I have mentioned that my room is extremely small... so it does tend to get messy very easily, however, my room is a zoo for another reason. I house two home made animal print canvases above my bed. The colors match my room, and the pattern matches my personality.


How did I do it? I bought two canvases from AC Moore, black paint, brown paint, blue paint, and two of those foam tip brushes. I laid out newspaper and asked my little cousin to help me out.
1. We moistened (with water) the wide foam brush so it didn't absorb all of the paint.
2. We did a wash of blue to the backgrounds of both canvases and let it dry.
3. We did another wash of blue to completely cover all the white. We also painted all sides this time.
4. I googled zebra print images for inspiration.
5. On a plate, I mixed 1 part black with 3 parts brown to give the brown a deeper color which matches my room better.
6. I went to town with the zebra stripes with the smaller foam brush (moist) and let it dry.
7. I went over the zebra stripes again after it dried.
8. When the canvases were completely dry, I took my trusty command picture frame hanging strips and popped these babies above my bed.
If I were to re-do this project, I would have done them on larger canvases to make more of a statement as this is the first wall you see when you enter my room.


How long did it take? Total of maybe 2 hours divided into two nights.
Cost? Approx. $10 because I already had command strips on hand.

Salma Samples

Are you a sucker for samples like I am? Do you get extra excited when you can take a product (even if its tiny) for free?! While at CVS, a small package caught my eye... it looked like a sample... could it be? I had to investigate this further, so I casually inched my way over to the display to realize there was not only 1 sample being offered, but 4! Salma Hayek has a brand called "Nuance." I am not familiar with her products so I took the samples of:
  • Moisturizing Day Cream
  • Anti Aging Wrinkle Filler Eye Serum
  • Body Cream
  • Firming Body Cream

Will I use these products immediately? Truth is, I probably won't use these samples for about a year. I hoard samples and miniature products for times when I'm on-the-go or when I won't be coming home for the night. It would be ideal to claim I save these products for vacationing in the Caribbean, however that does not happen. Tear.

Now go get your samples and use them, unlike me -_-

Up next:
-More organization ideas
-Dollar Deals
-Apartment vs. Buying a House Dilemma

Monday, July 25, 2011

Fuse Function and Fashion

I live in a tiny room! While designing it, I have to have function as a number 1 priority... I don't have any space to spare. For wall art, I used some of my necklaces to add color and a spark of my personality. It obviously also doubles as a home for my long costume jewelry.

How did I do it? I bought command hooks in teal (you can get these from Target) and followed the easy directions on the package and placed my first hook on the lower left side. I then estimated spacing between the 1st and 2nd hook, and plopped my second hook where I liked it best. I then took a ruler and rested it on top of the 1st and 2nd hook to create an even incline for my third hook placement. I chose to use three hooks because decor looks best in odd numbers.

How long did it take? Maybe 10 mins. max.
Cost? $6 for Command Hooks (My collected necklaces = priceless)

See other cute ideas in this pic? I will show you the whole she-bang very soon!

Dollar Deals

I know this is a makeup blog, but I have so many other interests as well that I would like to share with you from time to time.

This particular deal I found from the Dollar Tree. I bought 4 jaguar print coasters ($1 each).

With some command strips they could easily be wall art instead of coasters, but I think I'm going to use them as coasters.