Tuesday, December 20, 2011

DIY Project: T-Shirt Scarf

Yesterday, I told you guys I’d be posting quick, easy, do-it-yourself projects that you can make as last-minute gifts for your friends and fam. Yesterday, I posted about frosted wine glasses (that I gave to my dear friends Eddie and Mario). Today, I’ll be posting about how to make your own scarf … from t-shirts!

My lovely friend Maggie was the recipient of this gem.


What’s great about this scarf (besides it looking really nifty) is that it requires NO sewing. I am nobody’s seamstress so this works out especially great for me.

All you need to do is go to your local Hobby Lobby (I've fallen in love with that place lately) or a thrift store and grab two XL t-shirts. It'll cost you less than ten bucks. Also, I think that you don't have to use solid shirts. In fact, a patterned shirt or shirt with a print on it would probably look pretty sweet. The only thing you should try to avoid is a shirt with a seam down the sides of the torso. Take the shirts and lay them out on a flat surface. It's helpful to have a relatively large, flat surface. Since I don't really have one in my apartment, I opted to work on the floor.


Clearly, there's a slight, furry problem with working on the floor. At any rate, the next thing you'll need to do is cut each shirt off at the armpits. It'll leave you with two squarish pieces of material.


Then, cut the bottom hem off the shirt, if there is one.


Now, you want to cut inch-wide strips from what's left of the shirt. You'll be cutting left to right because what you want are inch-wide connected bands of fabric. Don't fret if it's not perfectly straight. We're going to do something that will make your crooked cutting virtually unnoticeable. What you'll want to do is take the strips and pull them with all your might.


Doing this will make the t-shirt material curl into itself and you'll get these cool, tubelike pieces of fabric. The end result looks something like this:


This is Maggie's preferred way of wearing a scarf, but I'm more of a looper, like this: 


Now, if you're looking closely (but ignoring the massive litter box in that pic, you'll see a braid in the scarf. To make one of those, pick three of your pieces, cut them so they will come undone, and braid them. Then, tie the ends back together and reincorporate it into the scarf. 

The last thing you'll need to do is band all the pieces together. Grab the hem from one of the shirts that you cut off and use it as a tie. Don't use the whole thing, just enough to keep things in one piece. 


This scarf doesn't take long at all to make and it's the kind of thing that can be worn with a plain top and really make your outfit more exciting. 

I have a feeling like I'll be making more (for myself) soon! 

P.S.: Meet Sean. There was no way I could leave this pic out. 

Monday, December 19, 2011

DIY Project: Frosted Wine Glasses

So, Christmas is a mere 6 days away. And, believe it or not, I (with the help of Pinterest) got into the Christmas spirit. I have a handful (okay maybe two handfuls) of close friends and I wanted to do something nice for them. And, I wanted an excuse to go Pinterest-crazy. So, (almost) everyday this week, I'll showing you a quick, easy, and fun do-it-yourself project that you can put into action if you need a last-minute gift for someone. These are all super-easy. Trust. If I can do them, you can do them.

Today's DIY is frosted wine glasses. Here's what you'll need:

  • wine glasses (I bought some for $5 at Walmart) 
  • rubber bands ($1 - Hobby Lobby) 
  • frost spray paint (This I bought from Lowe's for about $7.) It looks like this: 

So, this whole DIY cost about $13 dollars. Not bad. 

Here's what you do: 

1. Grab your rubber bands and a clean wine glass. Also, make sure that you have clean, non-greasy hands.


2. Then, wrap rubber bands all over the wine glass, however you want. Here, you can tell that I'm wrapping them and overlapping them all over the place. However, from experience I learned that horizontal lines, with no overlapping, works best. 



3. Then, you spray. You MUST do this outside, so do it when there's some light still. This will help you spray evenly and thoroughly. I decided to do two coats, just to maximize the frostiness. 



4. This spray paint says give it an hour before you handle it. But, once that hour is up, grab some scissors and (carefully) cut off the rubber bands. Then, brush off the excess spray paint. Give them a good wash (inside especially so that you don't poison your friends) and gift them to your bestest buds. 

I'm ashamed to say I don't have a closeup of these glasses but I gave two to Eddie and two to Mario. Here they are: 


Look how cute they are! (The boys aren't too bad either!) 


Again, great DIY. And if your friends happen to be more of a beer drinker, it's all the better. Make them some always-frosty beer mugs! 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Kitties on Sandwiches and Teen Mom

Last week, in a blog about my return to yoga, I talked about how I wanted to write a cute blog that involved my cats being well, cute. Well the long-anticipated day is here, folks.

This blog is two-fold. Let's start with Paisley.

So, the other day, I went home for lunch and grabbed food on the way. So, I'm sitting on my couch watching my usual MTV / Bravo awfulness and Paisley starts doing this:



I know. Presh. What in the world could he be looking at? This:


My half-eaten tuna sandwich from Subway. What a cliche thing for a cat to do. Well when I get back home at the end of the work day, this is what I come home to: 


Someone realllllly wanted that sandwich. What a little shit.


Now, we all remember Augie, right? Well here he is stink-eying me later that same night:


"You're ridiculous. Why are you even humoring yourself? You're so not going to be productive right now. Do what you always do and watch more MTV." 

So I did. I watched the Teen Mom premiere. And even though Augie told me to, this is what he looked like at about 3 minutes in to the show:



This is him at about 15 minutes in:


Again, presh.

I love this guys.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Three Songs That Are a Little Too Cool for Me (But I Still Love)

I have a confession: I wish I had "cool" music taste. What is "cool" music taste, you ask? It's a love of non-mainstream, kind of indie, first-discovered-at-a-music-festival music. It is not Train, Lee DeWyze (of American Idol fame), or Lil Wayne. (Those three currently dominating my "Top 25 Most Played" playlist on iTunes.) 

At any rate, I really wish that I had cooler music taste. But, thanks to the wonder of Spotify, (and an unrelenting itch to find anything to get me out of doing actual work at work), I get to discover new music while I sit at my desk and "work" daily. And I've found three songs that I really, really like. So, I present another list. This is a list of non-mainstream, cool-guy songs that aren't really in my musical ... wheelhouse, but I love anyway. This is list is appropriately titled,"Three Songs That Are a Little Too Cool for Me." 

1. City and Colour - The Girl 


I'm not 100% sure, but I think I caught a little bit of City and Colour's set when I was at ACL (the Austin City Limits Music Festival) this past September. I wish I had heard this song live, because I bet it was awesome. This song's lyrics are just so sweet. I love hearing about simple, unadulterated, un-put-upon love, and that's what this song is really all about.  Also, I like this song's (lack of) instrumentation. About halfway through (2:20 or so) it has a surprising tempo change that's fun. This song makes it into the "too cool" category because of it's obscurity and simplistic nature. It is the type of song that really could make it mainstream, but it would no doubt get all synthesized and commercialized in the process.

2. Ghostland Observatory - Sad Sad City 


Oh Ghostland. Ghostland might win the award for "cool guy bands." In fact just yesterday, when Sarah and I were out and about, this song came on and we couldn't name the group, but we knew it was one of those bands that you "should" know. And, if I know anything about Ghostland fans, they would protest that Ghostland has other songs that are muuuuuuch better than this. But, this song reminds me of about 9-10 months ago when I was still living in Austin. Living in Austin meant going out in Austin, which also meant dancing to cool songs like this one. I'm sure there were other Ghostland songs playing, but this one is really upbeat and fun. It has an infectious beat that sticks in your head all day. 

3. Kings of Leon - Soft 


I know, I know. Kings of Leon had a chart-topping song like a year ago, they are soo mainstream now. But, listen to this song because it's so not the "Use Somebody" Kings of Leon we came to know and love (and get burned out on). I have a very distinct memory of hearing this in my friend Steph's car, years ago. And, it was upbeat and catchy, and so very scandalous. I don't know if Steph remembers this but one day I was like, "What the crap is this song about, Steph?" Her response? "I think it's about trying to had sex when you're high on a bunch of drugs." (Hope the title makes sense now ...) This song makes the list because the average person hasn't ever heard of it and doesn't know this version of Kings of Leon, but hardcore music fans, have know about this song for years. 

Well that's that. Do you guys have any "cool-guy" songs that you love? Or, do you have any proposed "cool-guy" songs that I ought to take a listen to? Is so, PLEASE send them my way! 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

It Started with a Scale: My Return to Yoga

So, I had this super-cute post planned for Food & Wine Wednesday, but I didn’t get to it last night. It’s really a shame because it involved Paisley being pretty darn cute. As cute as a 16-pound cat** can be, that is. But, now it’s Thursday and that post will have to wait for another day. But here’s a little story: 

Ray is extremely thoughtful and generous. Ray also knows me really well – well enough to know the things that I need and / or want but would never remember to buy. Well on Tuesday, Ray told me a surprise, non-Christmas gift was about to be delivered. And Ray also said, “When you open it, do not think I’m trying to tell you something. I’m not sending you a subliminal message with this. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, shoot.” pretty much sums up my feelings as I open up this huge Overstock.com box. What was in the box you ask? A scale.

Right. My thoughts exactly.

I love Ray, a lot, and the scale is really, really nice (super thin, greenish glass top), but geez!

So, I do what any normal girl would do. I open it, promptly stand on it and prepare to hear the bad news. The news = 107.2 lbs. I know, I know. I suck. But let me say this when I was in the midst of my Bikram Yoga Challenge, I was about 6 pounds lighter. But, since I finished the challenge, I’ve … embraced the following:
  • Wings from Hooters
  • Sleeping in
  • Copious amounts of alcohol (beer, liquor, and far too much red wine)
(I think we’ve found the source of the extra poundage, people.) 


So, (after whining and asking for assurance that I was not “plump”) I went in my room and packed a bag. I was going to 6AM yoga the next day. And you better believe on Wednesday morning, I was there. Terrified (I haven't been the entire month of November), but bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. And this morning, I went again. Less terrified, but also much less bright-eyed. During those two classes, I realized that I miss it a little bit. So, now, I present to you ... 


Five Things I’ve Missed About Bikram Yoga
  1. Having more energy. Now, I know that a couple paragraphs ago, I whined about feeling plumper than usual. But, the real reason that I started yoga / being physical was for the extra energy. When I don’t work out, it’s noticeable harder for me to get out of bed. Doing Bikram also keeps me from eating super crappy, which helps with the energy level too.
  2. The warmth. Earlier this week I posted about how cold it was and how much I loathe being cold. Well, a Bikram yoga room is heated to 105 degrees, give or take. And when it’s 28 degrees outside, it’s heaven. Heaven in a very stinky room, but heaven nonetheless.
  3. Feeling accomplished. On the days that I go to yoga, I feel like a badass. I feel like a badass because I’ve gotten so much done. I’ve woken up, worked out, and I make it to work on time. And that’s before 8AM. It’s awesome. Nothing beats it. Seriously. If you can get over your alarm going off at 4:50 AM, then you should definitely consider switching to early morning workouts.
  4. Every day is different and every day is the same. During a Bikram yoga class, regardless of the teacher, regardless of the time of day, you do the exact same 26 postures (asanas). It never fails. They are even in the same order. And, as a person that gets anxious about uncertainty, I love this. I love being able to know what’s going to happen next. I also love the that every day is different. Some days, I am a rockstar. I’m not kidding! Like, I’m just moving through each posture, like it’s a breeze. But there are some days that I look drunk or something. I can’t keep my balance, I can’t focus, it’s brutal but I still love that the class has that novelty, after all this time.
  5. The mini-triumphs. Bikram yoga is full of mini-triumphs. Almost every class I go to, there will be something that I do really well. On Wednesday, I rocked this posture out, and was super proud of myself.


(photo courtesy of Bikram Yoga San Antonio) 


On Thursday, this is one that I did excellently, if I do say so myself.




(photo courtesy of Bikram Yoga San Antonio) 


So that’s that. To sum it up, I got a scale and then I went to yoga. And then I reminded myself about how I actually really love and miss this feeling: 



This picture was taken after I finished my 60-day challenge. I got to sign the wall. Doing so filled me with this unwavering feeling of accomplishment and awesomeness. 

** The reason I know how much Paisley weighs is because, after weighing myself, I picked him up, weighed him, and then did the math.


He was not happy with me.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Baby, It’s Cold Outside (And I Want to Sit on My Couch and Watch TV All Day)

I can’t stand being cold. I cannot handle being cold. I turn into a 26-year-old baby in the cold. Like, I’m cranky and whiny and I let everyone in my office know that I am cold. Including the company call center, because that’s who you have to contact to initiate a work order to get the thermostat adjusted in my office. Believe it. Someday I will blog about the ridiculous of working in corporations.


That being said, I resist the urge to take a picture of my car’s thermostat, or screenshot the weather from my iPhone like this:







I resist the urge because it’s cliché. I also resist the urge to post status updates like this:


“insert picture of my car’s thermostat”
“insert statement about how flippin’ cold it is today”


Those are becoming cliché, which is no good either.


I think about it and I feel it in my heart (and my frigid hands) but I resist.


So I will take a few minutes to tell you, my wonderful blog readers that I’m cold. And that I really hate being cold. And that, come lunchtime, I will be getting in my car and blasting myself with delicious car heat on my way to wherever I decide to eat today.

Monday, December 5, 2011

It's Been A Long Time ...

I’ve been gone.

For a long time. (Long Time In Blog World = 12 days).

For my few, but greatly loved, readers (who are mostly my friends that are obligated to read my blog), my bad. Don’t give up on me yet.During my hiatus, I was busy. Like really, really busy. Busy thinking, busy smiling and giggling, busy oscillating between family and friends, and my love. And, while part of what I’ve been doing wasn’t all that extraordinary, part of it truly was amazing and awesome.

Let’s just talk about the amazing and awesome stuff today.

Now, if you’re working off of the notion that a woman that lives with two cats, consistently takes pictures of said cats, occasionally blogs about her cats and shares her ice cream with her cats is a cat lady, and you believe that the definition of a cat lady is a single, sad woman, you may think that I am in fact a cat lady. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I am not a cat lady (at least by that definition).

I am … engaged!! How amazing is that?

Anddd, how amazing is this?!



The reason I have not talked about my relationship to date is for two different reasons. First, it’s because my other half wants / needs to remain anonymous. It’s for their work. It’s for their safety and our security. It is what it is.

Secondly, if you’re even a semi-loyal reader, you know that this blog has been kind of all over the place. I never know what to write about. Music? Kitties? Food? Crafts? While I usually never know exactly what to write about, I know that that I didn’t start a blog to talk about my relationship and all things lovey-dovey (all the time). I wanted a place to come to talk about my interests and activities, my likes and dislikes, and my random meaningless / meaningful thoughts. That being said, there are days and moments in my life that are irrevocably colored by my relationship, so much so that it seems so artificial and fake to never talk about my relationship here.

Overall, my blog is just that. It’s mine. It’s for me. The person I’m with doesn’t have an interest in capturing every microscopic and macroscopic going-ons of their day. That’s all me. Now, I struggled a lot on how to maintain the anonymity of my fiancé.

So, here’s what we’ll do:

- Hereafter, my fiancé will be called “Ray” for all intents and purposes. It’s short and sweet, and if you know me / my fiancé, I’m sure you’ve already cracked my brilliant code.

- “Ray” will be around, clandestinely*. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of “Ray.” It’ll be very How I Met Your Mother-esque.

(For those of you that don’t get the reference, the show has been on for years and you never actually see the mother, you just hear about her. All you get to see are like pieces of her … I think one episode they showed her ankle or something. It was a big deal**).

Whew. Glad that’s out of the way. I feel a lot lighter now. Now, next week, when I’m back on my blogging game, I can share snippets of what happened with me and Ray over this few days. There was the engagement, Thanksgiving, and more! There are pictures, there are recipes, and it’s all a really good time.

* I absolutely love the word clandestine. I think it’s so pretty. It
sounds almost like a name. Clandestine is just a fancy way to say
covert or sneakily.

** I’ve never seen one full episode of HIMYM but I remember the ankle
thing being a big deal. I did employ my savvy Googling skills – some
sources say it was an ankle, others say it was the entire foot.