a playlist for the happy couples out there

i stumbled upon the site called 8tracks.com, where people make playlists of 8+ songs that go together in one way or another. i really like "geek mix" and "songs to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling to."

i've made a little playlist of my own. this is a valentine's day playlist for all the people who are looking forward to the holiday. if you want to celebrate love this february 14th, whether you're half of a happy couple, or happily independent, check out my mix!

(photo cred)

featuring the song stylings of artists such as City and Colour, Alkaline Trio, and The Format. <3 

coming soon, a grouchy playlist for the bitter and sour hearts out there ;)

instax love

i couldn't resist but to jump on the instax bandwagon.

here are a few of my favorite shots:

anyone out there have fun pics you'd like to share?

abstract

i made this in color theory the other day. i thought it turned out kinda nice. i framed it.

pretty little thing

isnt this just lovely?

dress from persephone vintage on etsy

no-cost handmade birthday card tutorial

ok maybe this is cheating. i say no-cost but its really just no cost to me because i got lucky. i work at a craft store where they do custom picture framing. a customer had a work framed and they trimmed off the extra paper and gave it to me. so i got high quality water color paper for free. try this with other papers; it could work!

well the first step is to cut your hard to size. again, i eyeballed this project. then tape it down to your work surface. my dear friend kristin is turning 18, so i lightly drew a big 18 on the front. but you can do any picture or design or word or name of number you want. the idea here is just to diy rather than to buy from the store.

i made sure to get every part of the paper wet except for the 18.

i just plopped color blobs on like tie-dye. i wanted it to look springy.

 then i went back with micron pens and added details.

and i have terrible handwriting, so i printed out a little saying for the inside in a cute font and traced it with tracing paper, then went over it with micron pen.

turned out pretty cute, right? :D

no-cost gift bow tutorial

once i saw how easy these bows are, i thought, "i am NEVER paying for a gift ow again! tutorial on the lovely blog How About Orange.

start by taking a magazine picture and cutting it into 9 strips of 3/4 inch width paper.

leave 3 full size, cut one an inch off of three of them, and two inches off of 2 of them. then 1 of them should be 3 1/2 inches long.

the next step is to make loops with the strips and staple the ends in the center. the one short piece just makes a little circle.

very important: make sure your loops are at an angle where there's more space in the middle. where the tips get more pointy. i made the mistake of not putting enough space in mine and they wouldn't fit together. had to take them apart and redo them. :(

next, put them together with glue dots. start with the bigger ones and the little circle piece goes in the center. BEAUTIFUL! 

you can use any kind of paper for this really. ive seen it done with old maps and i think that looks really cool. :D if anyone tries this project on their own, please show me! i would love to see. :]

no-cost handmade gift wrap tutorial

hello again! as promised, here is the tutorial for making FREE gift wrap! :)

i started with a paper shopping bag. my project was small so i only needed one.

the first step is to cut your paper bag the size you need it for the object you're wrapping. dont worry f the name of the store is on the bag, you can use that as the inside.

tape it down to your work surface. this not only keeps it from wrinkling as it gets wet, but it also helps keep paint off your work space. :) i like to be tidy.

 i was going for a springy pallet but i think it turned out a little 1992.. hmm.

 paint away! you can use any pattern you like. i chose stripes, but polka dots, stamps, anything really would work.

yay! cute AND free! can't beat that.