2013 Stocking Stuffers

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Oh Screwdrivers and Stethoscopes, how I’ve neglected thee.

I haven’t abandoned my little blog, I promise.  Life has just gotten in the way.  Weddings.  Jobs.  Holidays.  Repeat. I promise I will have some great posts coming up on the things I have been up to, but in the meantime, let’s discuss 2013 stocking stuffers.

Here are some affordable little stuffers sure to make Santa do a double take:

For the fashionista:

Polka Dot Winter Tights- $9.80

In the cold of winter (last I checked it felt like -9 degrees) you can’t exactly go bare-legged.  Solution:  adorbs tights.

Anatomical Snog me mints- $2.81

Okay not exactly fashion, but I just love things that come in little packages. Plus I love all things Brit. And nice breath isn’t a bad quality either.

For the techie:

Ilovehandles  iPhonePost It Case- $7.95

I love this.  How often do you need a piece of scratch paper, and don’t have one?  For me that’s basically every day.  Note to self: stop taking so many notes. Note to self: get an iphone.

Eye-Fi Wireless SD Cards-$49 and up

So these guys are a little more expensive, but where they lack in affordability, they make up in awesomeness.  I don’t know about you, but I have pictures on my camera’s memory card dating back to 2008.  I love toting my camera to events, but never seem to manage to upload the pictures to my computer.  The solution: the Eye-Fi series, which wirelessly transfers photos from your digital camera directly  to your iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Computer, etc.

For the foodie:

Sriracha Candy Canes- $7.99

I haven’t been too fond of candy canes ever since that time I got the “stomach flu” after consuming them in bulk (Yes, I realize there is no such thing as “stomach flu” and yes I realize consumption of candy canes and gastroenteritis are generally unrelated).  HOWEVER, I might consider nomming on one or two of these strange yet intriguing candies!

Pluck Egg Yolk Separator- $12.99

I’m not sure if this is just an elaborate turkey baster or what.  But either way, I know for sure I always end up picking pieces of egg shell out of my cake batter because I have no idea how to separate egg yolks from the whites.  Enter the Egg Yolk Separator.  You’re welcome.

For the athlete:

Chicago Skyline White Sox Knit Hat- $20

Okay, so this is a shameless selfish suggestion, since this hat represents two of the things I hold dearest to my heart:  Chicago and the White Sox.  This hat is perfect for the days you want to exercise outdoors, but don’t want bright red painful Rudolph ears (you know what I’m talking about!?  Or is it just me…)

Contigo Autoseal Kangaroo Water Bottle-$12

So I ALWAYS have the dilemma of what to bring to workout.  My keys? I really don’t want to be locked out of my apartment, but I don’t want to carry the stupid things around.  Same goes for my ID and Credit Card. You just never know when you are going to need spontaneous retail therapy. 

The Contigo water bottle solves all of my problems.  And hydrates me, which is especially important when I’m out of breath and wheezing because I haven’t been to the gym in a month….but that is a whole different problem…..

 So there you have it...now get to stuffing!

Summer Skin 101

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May was the month that came and went.  I packed, I moved, I cleaned, I repeated. There has been so much going on that I haven't taken any pictures or uploaded any of the projects I have been working on, but I promise next week someday I'll get around to it. Until then, I'm going to focus on the "stethoscopes" part of this blog that I so often neglect.

As the weather starts to get warmer I've noticed hem lines getting shorter and skin tones getting darker.  I *cringe* at the thought (my cellulite and paper white legs only being two very small reasons....).  The main reason I start to cringe is carcinoma.  That's pretty much just a fancy word for cancer.  The second HUGE reason I grab a jacket and a wide brimmed hat when I go outside is rhytids.  Again, pretty much just a fancy word for wrinkles.

Consider this my public service announcement.  If you don't want to look like a hairless cat by the time you're 35, you should take the time to do a few things before you enjoy the sweat inducing summer temps.

1. Wear sunscreen.  Everyday.  Even if you're not planning to go outside. Reapply often and  when purchasing look for broad-spectrum sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection and an SPF higher than 15.
2. Want to avoid crows feet (those cute little wrinkles extending from the corners of your eyes)?  Wear sunglasses every time you drive, go outside (they also help to prevent those pesky things called cataracts)
3. Unless you want to look like Patricia Krentcil a.k.a. tanning mom, never ever ever step foot inside a tanning salon (I KNOW- I went through a period of time where Snookie had NOTHING on me.  But do as I say and not as I do.  My skin will definitely be paying for my stupid mistakes in the near future). Want to look tanned but want to avoid the salons? Invest in some nice non-stinky non-orangey self tanning solution.  The self tanners/bronzers have come a long way (I use Loreal's Sublime Bronze..it's cheap, it does the job, and I turn brown without all of the associated risks) 

Here is Oprah's guide to the best new bronzers, big O is never wrong is she?

4.  Go all boho chic this summer meaning, look like a homeless person and grab as many layers as possible.  Wear a wide brimmed hat.  Wear sunglasses.  Wear a light weight cardigan.  Basically cover up.  Leave something everything to the imagination. 

5.  If you ever notice a mole that seems to not go away or keeps getting bigger, a lesion that doesn't heal, etc....go see your dermatologist or local PA.  Trust me, these are not things you want to put by the wayside.  Look for the A,B,C,D,Es of skin cancer: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color change, Diameter enlargement and Evolution/Elevation.

Follow these guidelines and you'll continue to look flawless for years to come.  If you don't then you *might* be paying me a visit soon that expected.

P.S.  Wondering what a hairless cat looks like?  Totes not cute.  Stay out of the sun yo.

DIY Picture Ledge...on the cheap

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Tis the end of April, and you know what that means?  FRANTIC SEARCHING FOR A NEW APARTMENT.  My current lease is up at the end of May, and even though I love my current place, it’s time for a change.  So that being said, I should probably post some of the things I have done around the place to make it look snazzy. 

I live in a loft, which means a whole lotta ceiling space (and echo potential, so don't make any noises you don't intend for anyone else to hear...including bodily functions...dad...).  What to do with all that excess wall?  Build a picture ledge of course.  I can’t take credit for this project, as I basically copied it from Ana White’s tutorial found here.   Basically, the shelf is made out of 8 foot long 1x2’s and 1x4’s. I bought the pre-primed boards, which cost an extra $5 but saved me in paint for a grand total of $18.  Cheap and easy just the way I like it (Sure beats Pottery Barn’s picture ledge, which looks the same and costs $110).

After assembling and mantling the picture ledge, fill it with artwork and other treasures.  I purchased all of my frames at IKEA or second hand.  Frugal Tip: Take the maps provided for free from the CTA and frame them.  I also purchased fun wrapping paper squares from Dick Blick and framed those too!  The paper only costs $3-5 and fits perfectly in a $5 IKEA frame.

Now you have no excuse for your bare ugly walls, so get to it.

{DIY Gift Wrap} Part 3: Personalized Paint Swatch Gift Tag

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Hi my lovelies, sorry for the hiatus in gift wrap posts (I know, I know, HOW EXACTLY are you supposed to wrap your abundance of gifts without a new weekly tutorial???).  The last few weeks have been just too stressful and depressing for me to concentrate on my blog, but life must go on.

I’m going to cut to the chase; today’s tutorial is the paint swatch gift tag.  I hate spending money on gift tags, and I love me some free stuff.  If you’re a cheaparse thrifty like me, you’re going to love this tutorial.   Every time I’m at the Depot or Lowes I take the opportunity to collect my favorite color paint swatches; you just never know when they are going to come in handy.  My local Ace Hardware limits the amount you can take to 5…..the last time I was there I snatched 7 swatches. My palms underarms were sweaty and I was looking over my shoulder like a paranoid schizophrenic and/or meth head….I need to get out more.

Anyways, for this tutorial all you need is:

·         Paint swatch that has multiple colors (not just a solid square paint swatch….it will work but won’t look as fancy…)

·         Memories Slice Cutter (or similar)

·         String/Ribbon (to tie the gift tag to your package)

So basically, you just need a paint swatch with enough colors to spell out the person’s name that you’re gifting.  Example (Katie- Need at least 5 colors, if there are more you can cut the end colors off to shorten to swatch to 5 colors.  For this tutorial I spelled the name Masato, hence 6 letters/colors)

Really this is pretty self explanatory.  Center the slice on each paint swatch color and cut a different letter per color.  Easy peasy.  Attach the tag to the package with string or ribbon and you’re done.  (sorry this package looks a little…Christmassy….that’s probably because it was a Christmas gift…)

{DIY Gift Wrap} Part 2: Grocery Bag/Contact Paper Gift Wrap

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Time for installment numero dos of the wrapping paper tutorials.  Today's tutorial makes use of contact paper, for personalized wrap! This one is mainly for those awesome people who own a slice or die cutter. You can always cheat and buy sticker letters, but where is the fun in that?

  

As everyone knows, I’m cheap.  I pretty much refuse to buy wrapping paper.  Paper bags of all varieties are my solution (I actually prefer brown paper bag wrapping to colorful wrapping paper…).  Thus, this gift wrap was accomplished using:

• ·         1 brown paper grocery bag
• ·         Leftover contact paper
• ·         Slice machine
• ·         Tape
• ·         Scissors

Step 1: Wrap the gift with the brown paper bag

Step 2: Use the slice machine to cut out sticker letters using the contact paper.  I wrapped this gift for a birthday, but obviously you can use any phrase or slogan your little heart desires

Step 3: Arrange letters, remove backing, and place sticker onto the wrapped package

Step 4:  Make a bow out of the left over brown paper bag, using the tutorial found here

Step 5:  Give gift to birthday boy/girl, and watch them ooh and ahh over your pretty wrapping.  Then watch their look of disappointment when the gift isn’t as nice as the wrapping…womp womp….

Stay tuned for more wrapping tutorials!

{DIY Gift Wrap} Part 1: Wine Bottle Wrapping (FREE!)

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Happy Valentine’s Day lovelies! I hope you have amazing plans and are spending your day/night with that special someone.  I also hope you got said special someone a little token of appreciation.  Me…ermm…I haven’t gotten poor Nishy anything yet…but I still have a few hours before date night and I work in a mall.  So, fear not Sean, you will have a perfectly wrapped token of my love in T minus 4 hours.

Speaking of perfectly wrapped…are you wrapping illiterate? If so, today’s tutorial will be of use.  I love gift wrapping.  There is nothing quite like a gift that is wrapped with all of the bells and whistles.  Let’s face it: no one likes getting a gift that is wrapped in a plastic bag; it gives you the impression that the giver didn’t put much thought or effort into the gift (ahem DAD).  So to help all of you lazy ol gift wrappers out, over the next few posts I'll be highlighting some of my fave wrapping tutorials : )

Today's tutorial:  the Wine Bottle Wrap

I feel like I'm cheating with this post since it's so simple, but rather than pay $4.99 for a gift bag, just customize the brown paper bag you get for free with the purchase of wine/alcohol.  I used stamps, tissue paper, and curling ribbon.  Easy peasy (and FREE, so feel free to spring for the $$$$ wine, instead of the boone's farm...)

Enjoy your romantic night ya'll!  Check back later for more gift wrapping ideas : )