Exploring the Outdoors (with burn oil tutorial)

Long time no post! I have been working hard and spending a lot of time having fun. I will update with pictures soon!

My post today is about some herbal concoctions that I have made and read up on. I bought the book Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health and have been slowly trying adapt to some of her suggestions. Like eating flaxseed daily - this with help your fiber intake, your digestion, mental capacity, being less depressed, and even has anti-cancer benefits because it is full of Omega-3! You can eat a few teaspoons full of flaxseed on your oatmeal, yogurt, rice, or mixed into a fruity smoothie (among tons of other possibilities). But this small change in your day can behoove your lifestyle and health dramatically.

The next change can be just as simple a step in your morning routine as flaxseed. Spirulina! Spirulina can come in tablets or powder form (the powder form is usually what turns your smoothie green at health food shops). Spirulina is 60% protein and although in some respects it is less protein than eggs or milk it is shown to prevent damage against the heart, liver, kidneys, neurons, eyes, ovaries, and DNA. Just like flaxseed mix a teaspoon or two into your meal or drink and you can reep the benefits of this natural medicine.

Gladstar also swears by tinctures and oils. With help from a friend I made my first oil; St. John's Wort Oil. This infused oil can be used to remove or lift away burns of any sort. As I have had too many run ins with the toaster oven this year I thought this would be a great start for me and it is remarkably easy if you have time to pick some flowers!

Recipe for St. John's Wort Infused Burn Oil

Materials: Clean Bottle, St. John's Wort Flowers, Olive Oil

First put the flowers into the clean and dry container then cover with olive oil

Make sure that the flowers are completely submerged in the oil and then tighten the cap! Place your oil in a sunny place (the sun helps develop the burn fighting qualities). In about one week your oil will begin to turn bright red! Shake the oil daily and it will be ready in 4-6 weeks. Once completely red strain the oil and use!

Forgive my lack of posts and I will do my best to keep up! My next herbal creation is going to be echinacea tincture. I also have been working on some great planters for indoor plants for the new apartment including a terrarium. 

My parting picture:

Lunar Moth Spotting!

Relax

With a few changes happening in my life all at the same time, I feel very happy but very confused. I feel like I am in the same spot as I was at this time last year and just treading water. But this time I do think that I have a few things to shake a stick at. So instead of heading blindly into the "real world," (eeeek...AGAIN!) I have compiled a few things that I want to achieve this summer (baby steps) and then maybe I can expand to the whole year.

1. Have Fun - This sounds dumb, I know, especially because I am all about fun. But if you are not having fun then why are you doing what you are doing?

2. Surround yourself with the people you love - Again it sounds redundant but if you are constantly in touch with people that make you feel insecure, unsure of yourself, or angry you need to make a change and quick! Different people have different ways of handling these situations and for me I feel like I need to put as much distance between them and myself (either physically or mentally). Instead surround yourself with the people you love to be around. Whether that is an old friend that you spent time with in high school that always made your sides split or your long term sweetie. All people that put a smile on your face deserve your time because you deserve theirs!

3. Take time for yourself - Take time for yourself. As fun as it is to go go go, taking an hour or two or three to yourself is great. It allows you to think things through in your head and it also recharges your body. Everyone needs some down time.

4. Do the unexpected - Most people follow a similar path everyday. Once in a while be sure to do something that is creative, adventurous, and completely out of your comfort zone. If you don't do this for yourself someone else is going to put you in the uncomfy zone and you will be unprepared. Get yourself ready and become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

These are my words of wisdom as summer is around the corner. I feel like summer is always a whirlwind and goes by both fast and slow - so enjoy it!

And so it goes...

Oooohh! And here is a little something for anyone to take a look it ::
http://www.pinkbydesignstore.com/Cameo-Giveaway-Win-a-Silhouette-Cameo-no-purchase-necessary.html?mc_cid=28061ecd39&mc_eid=7c925f0b70

Enter to win!

Peace and love

The Sun is Shining

Lazy Sunday Afternoon  

Today was a beautiful day in Richmond, Vermont! Dan and I spent the day cleaning up, putzing around and going FISHING! Because we got our fishing licenses this year we are making a big effort of actually using them. Instead of writing about my day, I actually (*gasp*) took pictures. You can find the picture book of my day below...

Playing with Jacky outside!

What a handsome big guy!

The daffodils finally bloomed!

My handsome fly fisher

Gettin' Huck Finn on ya'll!

Modeling on the Winooski

Enjoy the outdoors this week, It looks like a sunny one!

<3

Beauty Tips I Never Knew! Including A Beach Hair Spray Tutorial

Pursuing around the interwebs I have found some beauty techniques that I never knew about and definitely want to pass along. So below are the top five health and beauty tips that are now part of mine routine and maybe will be part of yours!

1. Brushing your teeth for less than 2 minutes will not cure bad breath!

Mikey may be smiling - but does he smell??

Being a big garlic lover, this fact definitely hit home! I obviously brush my teeth, but (eeek, I'm admitting this online) occasionally I certainly leave the bathroom earlier and not scrub those pearly whites as long as I should. So once I read this, I ran to the bathroom and scrubbed! I mean by the end of this week I will most likely need a new brush! But if you don't have 2 minutes to spare at the sink, use mouthwash instead - it will beat bad breath for the time being and kill some of those nasty bacterium clinging to your chompers. 

2. You can make your own hair products. I mean, yoinks! most of you are probably like, of course! But usually when I read online tutorials of how to make your own lipstick or what natural products in your home can replace the chemicals on your bathroom shelf - I sadly skip over it. But something caught my eye. I have been wanting to make my long fine and thick hair more voluminous (without cutting it) and have been drawn to the beachy look. Many celebs sport the beach waves, including Kate Hudson, Mary Kay Olsen, Megan Fox, and countless others. But how do they do it?

Not Beach In Sight? No Worries!

 I found a beauty receipt online and altered it a little - but most of the items are already in your home! 

You will need:

**A Spray Bottle (I got mine at the drug store for $1)

**Warm Water

**Salt (I used sea salt, but I am sure any kind will work)

**Coconut Conditioner (or beach scent or your liking)

The spray bottle I found at the store was 12 oz. I put about 1 1/2 TBS of salt in the container and then filled the spray bottle up to about 1 inch from the top. Shake until the salt has fully dissolved and then add about 2 TBS of coconut conditioner (no need to by anything fancy I just purchased Suave) shake until there are no more conditioner chunks. The shaking takes longer than I thought it would but it's an arm work out! Once the conditioner is mixed in get ready to use it!

There you have it! Use this liberally or if you just want a little spritz. I have been using this everyday for little fixes. It helps with fly-aways, helping for the second day hair, and even keeping your bangs in place. The best way i found to get the just from the sand look is once you have gotten out of the shower towel your hair until it is almost dry. Coat your hair with the spray (make sure to get into all your layers) and then tie your hair in a knot on the top of your head. Let it dry (depending on how thick/long your hair is this could take a few hours). Then let down those locks! If you didn't shower in the morning, just dampen your hair and then spritz with the salt spray. I can do this first thing in the morning and then after my 45 minute commute let my hair down for my 9-5. It gives a little umph to my naturally stick straight hair while adding the volume I was looking for!

3. Washing your make-up brushes.

Eeeek - am I crazy for not knowing this? If that's the case read on nobility, but for the lowly commoners like myself I have a gem of information for you! You need to wash your make up brushes, some people even wash them daily! As I am just starting this crazy habit I have not gotten on the errr day habit but here are some tips on my favorite brushing technique::

Wash your brushes with soap and oil. You can do this by pouring soap on one half of a plate and olive oil on the other. The soap obviously will clean your brushes but the oil will retain the bristles and not dry out the hairs. On the plate simply mix the two liquids using a brush. 

When you rinse the brush use warm water! not hot or cold! If the hairs are shocked into too hot or too cold it could damage the glue holding it all together!

Dry your brushes with the bristles down. While not an ability or want for everyone, I am going to drill holes in my brushes. There are a few ways that people suggest online, but I think using my Dremel tool will be a nice quick fix. You want to make sure that you brushes are dried with the hairs downwards is because if you dry them with the hairs up, the handle may become waterlogged, and worse it may losen the glue and you could ruin your brush! eekk!

4. Eye drops can clear big red pimples.

This is a tip that I used instantly from reading it. Pardon the TMI, but I have been dealing with stress induced acne and have not found a quick cure. I poured on the Visine and did see results! It was not completely gone (if that was the case I hope I would have found out about it before I turned 23!!) but it was certainly helpful. I suggest this to anyone who got a pimple before  hot date, big presentation, or any big event. A big pimple never gave anyone a hand. I have not been able to test out how often you should or should not use this method, but I would suggest against constant application.

5. Vaseline: Makeup, Makeup Remover, Moisturizer, and more!

I know that this is tried a true method (so don't worry! I already knew this one guys) but I wanted to make sure that everyone else was aware of the magical powers of Petroleum Jelly!! 

>>>first>>>>

It can be used as makeup. No, this is not the most glamorous product you have ever put on your eyes. But the way it captures the light, keeps your eyes doe-y all day, and your lids extra moisturized, never hurt anyone! My favorite Petrol technique is coating my lids with a nice layer and THEN putting on my mascara. This method is awesome awesome awesome for girls on the run, when you are running late in the morning, and when you want to look put together. The Jelly will smudge with the mascara (not need to be to careful when applying the mascar coats) and you will look like you have lashes for days and have mastered the smudged eye look (no one knows that you are taking the easy way out!)

>>>second>>>>>

Just like you spread this jelly all over your eyes to apply make up you can do the same thing to remove it! PJ will take off any eye make up as well as any heavy lipstick. It offers a great way to scrub your lips or eyes without actually scrubbing too hard!

>>>third>>>>>

I am sure that you would have guessed this by now if tried my other two tips, but Petroleum Jelly is an awesome moisturizer. Your dry knees, elbows and heels can benefit from this little lesson. Rub on PJ like you would any lotion but wait for it to get a little less sticky. You'll find that it will not dry out completely like your lotion would because it is oil based, but even better! If you put on your socks over your just drying heels it will lock in the moisture! The big reveal will happen when you tug off those tube socks to your silk smooth feet!

>>>fourth>>>>>

I am sure that you will find many other uses for Petroleum Jelly, but be mindful that you should not use the PJ for a chapstick when you are heading to a sunny spot. Because of the big shine of the jelly you may attract more sun than you detract and will be left with blistered lips! Ouch!

Thanks for reading my few beauty tips and keep on keepin' on.

Happy Pinning!

Recently I have become a user of Pinterest! I love it. I cannot get enough. I am constantly searching around the site and have become a real addict. Below are a few of my favorite posts that I am dying to try when I have a minute to try them!

1. Curly Hair::: Natural Looking Curls
Because of Pinterest I found this awesome awesome hair tutorial. I am dying to try it but alas have no curling iron. I think this will be a big must once I make the purchase. I love how Amy shows the process and even though it is fast forwarded through parts you can still see everything. The tutorials that stop and start are not as helpful to me, because I need to be hand held. It seems ridiculous but I love to watch how  person sections their hair. I have way too much hair and seeing what other people do always gives me a hand with my own hair.

I also love how touchable her hair looks. I have just recently gotten into trying new hair techniques and bedtime curls, braided and knotted buns have been real life styles but I am dying to try other awesome techniques. If you wanted a few more places to lose time watching hair tutorials (you would not believe how addicting they are!):

bubzbeauty
kandee johnson
MichellePhan

I would specifically direct your attention to this video: Chic Faux Up-Do

2.

This outfit makes me melt. Pinterest, among everything else, makes me constantly think about summer. I think about what I am going to wear, what I am going to cook, what I am going to have time to create, and what I am going to post myself! Pinterest is the perfect social media page for me. It is visual, it is creative, and it is so fashion forward. I am totally inspired everytime I go to the freakin' site.

3.There are suggestions of ways to stay organized. Like this by Soap Deli News: Good Ideas. Pinterest is a great place for users to post ideas that you never thought of. That seems to be a frequent posting topic. Anything from how to organize your craft closet to the best way to reuse you plastic bottles. In Soap Deli's link I am sure to actually use cereal box trash can. That will be helpful in the car - no more floor trash can. Boo Hoo!

4. Good, Chic Ideas.

///

This pin, originally pinned by Annie Biondi, is so perfect. Just looking at this pin I want to be at the beach and feeling sand in my toes. Pinterest manages to do this time and time again. I definitely am visually intrigued and there are some great links. I am an avid user of CraftGawker and Pinterest definitely pulls from those users.

So there's my plug for Pinterest - I love it! It even seems like an exclusive club because I had to request an invite and didn't get invited for a couple of days. I feel like I am an honored member of the in-crowd. Needless to say I suggest this to anyone who loves visual simulation and a perfect place to express yourself. Your "Boards" can be customized, grouped, and added to by friends (by invite only of course) but the possibilities seem endless.

If you don't get it already --- Go on Pinterest. I'm so Pinterested. Check me out here >>> Follow me on Pinterest

Recycled Gems

This past week was a very tumultuous week in my life and I had a lot of time to think about, well, what I want to do moving forward. You'd be amazed with how people can shape your life and for some reason a couple close friends have really put my feet back in front of me. On top of everything Dan left for China (for two weeks) and I am an emotional mess - but I have released some stress making some craft projects and posting some products on etsy.com (check it out here >>>Stellar Polka Dotted bag). The two bags I have posted are mostly made out of recycled material (I didn't reuse the zippers or lining). But something that I was taught growing up and have been very passionate about in school is reducing our footprint on the planet. The weather, the state of our planet, and the recent natural disasters have really made me think about what a negative change we have made on Earth. I mean ask Alyssa, we won the recycled art contest at school every year they had it! So, my small small small effort to create art through recycled materials is my own personal rebuilding of things I believe in. I know, now I sound like I had a nervous breakdown - but sometimes you just need everything to go wrong to finally make a change for right.

Below I have posted the projects I have been making (and my works in progress):

1. My other bag... Gold Gold Glam

 This glitzy bag definitely borders Miss USA or Florida grandma, but I think with the right outfit could absolutely set. it. off. If any of you want to try out this bag yourself (click here). The tutorial is very simply explained and she posts plenty of pictures so you know exactly what to do. My first bag (the one on etsy) came out much much better than I had expected so for anyone out there who wants to give it a try GO FOR IT! ^^! 

My next little ditties are my driftwood projects:::

2. The red drift wood.

As a back story, I went collecting driftwood this weekend because a friend had mentioned it at a dinner. She was talking about how she wanted to make furniture with drift wood as a home decor. I was immediately drawn to this idea. However, I have no skills in furniture making, or have the room to practice, or any place to put my practice models. So, I have started much much smaller in jewelry. The two examples I have for you are necklaces, but I have ideas for bracelets and earrings.

This first piece is obviously pretty simplistic but that's what I think I want to appreciate with using drift wood to begin with. I cannot wait to wear this and I think it's really gonna be a cool piece - I just need to figure out when to wear it!

3. Painted Necklace >>>

This lil bugger had my hands all cramped and I was crooked over and you know... I'm not that pleased with what it looks like. Like any project though, you are never sure what it is going to look like until the end. Just looking at all the colors mixed together gives me a really natural vibe and maybe it's just too much.

Anyway, this blog is my place for inspiration and just trying more and more, so I am certain I'll hit a few hiccups along the way.

I am really happy that I had a little detox session this weekend and then will head back to work tomorrow. Everyone just needs a little break every once in a while.

And with that... I hope you all have a chance to reinvent yourselves at least once in your lifetime. Because gosh, sometimes it hurts getting stuck.

This one is for your mom and dad!

Glitz Glitz Glitz...

Lately I have been in love with everything glitter. I even have been taking my own stabs at crafting some glitter projects (among other projects as well). And as snow is f-f-f-finally on the ground in VT, I think it is due time for glitter to be a staple of my wardrobe. Below is a short list of some of my favorite glitterized items that are appropriate for my Vermont life.

1. Toms Glitters in black

http://www.toms.com/womens/glitters/black-glitters-shoes

Toms is an awesome foundation for those who have not already heard about it that for every pair of shoes you purchase another is donated to a child in need. The line "Glitters" comes in 7 different color choices, but personally for me I think black is the most wearable - but whatever floats your boat.

I think that these slip-ons can look great with a pair of jeans, cigarette leggings, or tights. They are very versatile and very comfortable. Not only will you feel relaxed in these fashion forward slips but you will be feeling the good vibes of karma running through your soles.

2. Glitter Nails

http://www.lovemaegan.com/2011/12/silver-gold-glitter-manicure-nails-for.html

I am a big following of any simple simple online craft site. www.craftgawker.com being one of my favorites - get the mobile app and be ready to wastes time scrolling through craft pictures on your smarty phone. But there are tutorials, inspiration photos, and just people sharing their projects with the cyber world. I found this nail tutorial through craftgawker and have not yet tried it because until now loath painting my nails. However this inspiration may be just what I need to jump back on the bandwagon.


3. My attempt at making a glitter clutch...

My try at making a Modge-Podge glitzy clutch

I have been on a rampage looking for intermediate level crafts. (I feel like I just keep saying crafts) And found this Check This Out!! <3<3<3 how-to online and new that it was just the project to test my skills. I will say, there are plenty of things that I will do differently next time - but think that it came out pretty glamorous. My only suggestion would be to be ready to have glitter everywhere.

I think that this clutch can look great with a LBD or with basic denim. As you are revamping an old clutch, you can of course make a small strap if it didn't already have one. The purse I used had a small chain-link strap. I will be sure to show my second attempt when I make it!


4. Glitter Eye Makeup...

This glitter makeup tutorial is great for those "red carpet" evenings. Although I can say that never, I really mean never, happens in Vermont, I definitely want to try this even if I only head down to Ake's Place @AkesPlace, it will definitely be a night to shine - I know very very bad pun. But wherever you wear this I am sure you will have people turning their heads.


5. Blue Glitter Fascinator

This awesome hair piece can be found at Jenine Basil's etsy site. Her creativity astounds me! Check out this specific item here: Super Cool Hair Piece. Of all her pieces I find this one being one of the least outrageous. The fascinator takes a spin on the headband and Ms. Basil's attention to the shape of the fascinator is what really makes it a statement piece. She really pays attention to accentuating the cartoon characteristics of everyday life.



That finishes my glitter take-over, but encase you weren't motivated to get your glitz on, here are a few songs to help you put one foot in front of the other to get to the closet.

Gorillaz - Glitter Freeze

Marina & The Diamonds - I'm Not A Robot

And so it goes...