My first table!

I've finally finished the first table I've ever made. I'm totally happy with it. I have no experience doing this, but I still wanted to try. I got a scrap cupboard door from ikea. It was only $1.99. It's not made of wood though. It's compacted shaved wood. Which to be honest sucks. But it works for me. I also found some free banister posts. The were super tall, but again, totally free.

I started by sanding the cupboard down. I'm doing the same idea as the three shelves I did in an earlier posts. So it didn't need to be sanded down much or perfectly by any means. Once I sanded it down a bit I spray painted the base a light gray color. Again, it doesn't have to be perfect, I wanted a some what withered look, so this worked good.


Once the spray paint dried I rubbed the edges with a tea candle. Then I grabbed my lovely paint and did two coats. I let the second one dry really well. While that was drying I spray painted the table legs gray.


Once the table top was dry I took a 220 grit sandpaper and began to expose the gray base. Where the wax was, the paint will come off a lot easier. I used the sandpaper on the whole table, just to give it a worn out look.



Now that I've finished all that, I attached the table top to the legs!

Yay, my table is done!

Now, for someone like me attaching the top to the legs was difficult. I would recommend getting some help with the final part. I'm pretty sure mine might not be the most sturdy table ever. I think I'm going to get some help to re do the leg portion.

I'm still in love with my table though, looks great in my hallway with some pretty flowers!

DIY scarf

Here's how I made a super easy scarf, so versatile, so great.

Things you'll need:
Large t-shirt
Scissors
Pearl necklace if you want to add to it!


I got a an extra large shirt from value village for a whopping .99¢. The longer the shirt the thicker the scarf will be. I found a nice girly pink color I liked, so the length wasn't as long as I hoped. But I still love it!

Once I had the shirt I cut the middle portion out. I cut the bottom seam out, and I cut out from underneath the arm seams. The line doesn't have to be perfect, you won't see it anyway.
Once you have your center cut out, loop it around a door nob and stretch it out as much as you can. You can loop it under your feet as well and pull up!

Now you have your scarf! Play with it, you can make so many different looks! I usually loop it in half and fan it out so it's actually a thicker scarf. Here are a few examples of how you can dress it. You can even add pearls in it to make it a little more fancy.

frugal me

For under $10.00 I made my hall way a little more girly. I bought a pint of paint for $5.99 at Canadian Tire, along with 2 pipe clamps that combined were under $2.00. Here's how I did it!




I had some extra shelves from a wooden ikea dvd shelf. So I grabbed 3 and sanded them down. I used a 120 grit sanding block and sanded away the top layer of the self. I'm pretty sure a 60 grit would have been way better, but I had 120 at home and wanted to do this as cheap as I could.


These shelves aren't the best, they are filled with shaved wood. I didn't want to sand down to deep because I feel like it will fall apart. They do the trick though. So when I had the top layer sanded down I spray painted with them with krylon smoke gray for the base


Once that dried, I took a tea candle and rubbed the edges of the shelf. I also added some wax in the middle of the shelf. Once I finished that I used my cabana coral paint to do the top coat. I applied two coats of the coral color. I'm no pro by any means at painting and what not. So I'm sure something I did is not the "right" way. But it works for me!

I used a really fine bristle paint brush for the top coat. I wanted it to be a kind of rougher looking and a few streaks showing up.


I let those coats dry really, really well. Now here is where the wax helps. Using a 220 grit or so sand paper, lightly file down the edges and a bit in the middle. Frugal me, I didn't want to buy more sandpaper so I used a new 220/240 grit nail file I had in one of my work kits. And it totally worked for me! Lightly sanding the edges down exposed the gray spray paint base to give it a bit of a withered look. I love mine!

Before you start putting our hooks and what not on the front make sure you nail in the picture hangers on the back first. I did not do that on one of them. It wasn't fun. I used a vase and mason jar I had on my balcony already and hung them with pipe claps. Getting the screw through the pipe clamp was fun. In the end I used scissors to stretch one of the existing notches. If I had a place to hammer properly, I probably would have smacked a nail right through it to stretch it. So the scissors were the next best thing.

On the last one I put hooks on it so I can hang my keys, purse, and jacket! For the longest time I had a golden wire rack holding my keys and what not. This is much better, much more room! The mason jar I have can only fit 2 pairs of sunglasses. I'm addicted to rounded black ray bans anyway. So for me that's more than enough room!





Finished product!

Although, I do think I'm going to spray paint the blue vase a solid white, because I seem to be addicted now to painting all glass objects white!

Any input? Should I keep it blue, or go with the white?

Find of the week/blogs of the week

I found this little jewel, hidden in the back of a bunch of glass ware on a shelf at value village recently. I thought for sure it would be at least $9.99. It's beautiful!
Oh no, $1.99. The amazing prices makes this find of the week.

....i'm so in love.


Great blogs and DIY websites:

If you haven't heard of P.S - I made this, you're crazy. I've become super addicted to this site. The easiest DIY projects ever. Simple and down to the point instructions backed up by great photos.
You're welcome.

I've been slowly spray painting everything I own. It's because a bit of an addiction. I've taken a liking to spray painting bottles white. It gives them a great porcelain look. Never used spray paint? Check out this super easy tutorial from Ruffled here.
Here are

Simply amazing DIY ideas from Pinterest thanks to totalartsoul. I'm so in love with this page. I actually want every single thing on the page. Amaze.

Pages beyond pages of the cutest and easiest for that matter, DIY projects. Craftgawker, you're my hero. It's fairly easy to get caught up on this one. Check it here.

just because i can

I love her, I really do. Anna Wintour circa 2007 when she appeared in Vogue Paris.

probably shouldn't do this

Have you found that perfect song or recording on youtube and you just had to have it on your ipod? Can't find the song on itunes, or just want it for free? I have been addicted to this converting website forever now. The only unfortunate thing is over the years, more and more advertising pop up windows are added. But whatever, it's so easy!

1. Go to the website here.

2. SCROLL DOWN. the top is more advertising. Don't click any of the extension offers!

3. Copy and paste the entire youtube link in the box near the bottom and hit convert(I always use the regualr quality option, works just fine for me).

4. A few giant pop windows will come up. Close them, they are lame.

5. Skip past the giant lobster ad at the top right of the screen.

6. Click the button that says "click here to downloaded your converted file".

7. Click "download your mp3" or wait 20 seconds.

8. Your download screen will come up. I always click open with itunes. Then click ok. Another advertising web page pop up will open as well. Close that shit.

9. Itunes will open, and your song will play! wohoo!

I have found 1 in 10ish won't work. The website will just say can't find page. Just carry on, no amount of refreshing or re doing it will work. Trust me. I spent way to much time trying.

Welcome to your newest addiction!

homemade sidewalk chalk!

*photo from ohmyhandmade.com

I came across this amazing tutorial on how to make your own sidewalk chalk! I know you can buy it super cheap right now anyway, but making it would be that much funner!

Thanks to ohmyhandmade.com you can have some fun and make sidewalk chalk!

nerd out

I love my camera.

I have been nerding out quite a bit online looking at camera tutorial websites. I found a few sites a while ago that I keep going back to. I figured I would share.

To start. A basic how to hold your camera. This could be one of biggest pet peeves and it's a sure give away on inexperience. Check out Light Stalking for a quick "how to hold your camera".

Please, don't be like this guy.



Secondly, I call this one my bible. It's great. An A-Z reference guide on photo terms. I used the shit out of this site a few years ago, and still love it today. Thank you Steves-digicams for producing my bible.

I love this one. The top 10 reasons your photos suck list. Simple, and to the point. Check it out here. And the top 10 list for better candid shots here.

I'm going to leave you off with Eolo Perfido. The opening series on his site is incredible. The make ups are brilliant. I love the style. I get to shoot for a few of the make up schools in Toronto. I love when I get to shoot for the special effects make up classes. You get to be so creative, and really get to play with lighting. Plus, nothing makes me happier than a creepy clown design. Simply brilliant. See the clowns here.




*stephen harper photo obviously not taken by me.

put the lime in the coconut

I'm doing some computer work this morning and I decided to make a playlist via 8track player.
You can only skip past two songs, so chose wisely.

Check out my playlist here.

Zooey Deschanel, my fashion icon.

I'm absolutely in love with her. She is without a doubt my style icon. She puts a modern twist on the classic Audrey Hepburn.


Zooey teamed up with the incredibly talented M. Ward to create the dynamic indie folk band She & Him. Check out Ions spread with the two here. There music is amazing, it always put me in a good mood. I have a few links with my favorite songs on youtube for you.
Why do you let me stay here
In the sun
Sweet darlin' (not the music video, just audio)


{500} days of summer is definitely in my top 3 movies. The other two being Jurassic Park and Fargo, obviously. If you haven't seen {500} days of summer I suggest you at least watch the trailer here. It will leave you wanting more for sure.


(obviously, none of these photos were taken by me)

Electricity is really just organized lightning.

It's currently just before noon on a rainy morning here in Toronto. I spent an hour in my bed watching the cn tower be struck by lightening time after time. I've been living in the same spot for just over 5 years now, and I've never been lucky enough to see the tower be hit this many times in one sitting! It's also very weird having a thunder and lightening storm in the morning, I usually see them at night! We've have had an amazing few days for weather. Apparently it got over 40 degrees one day too! Now we all know with that weather, comes rain..and lots of it. The other night we had a wicked thunder and lightening storm. I got a few shots from my balcony that night.
Enjoy!



We were sitting on the balcony and I had the camera propped up with my shutter cord handy, the entire sky lit up and I managed to snap the camera before it ended. It was so bright we couldn't even see a bolt. This is the photo I got from it. If only my DSLR had video, the thunder that followed that was incredible!

my hero

This is my sisters pug, Bruce Banner. I'm kind of in love with him.
If you don't fall in love with him in seconds, I'm pretty sure you're not capable of loving anything.
Or you just don't like dogs, I suppose.

i made these

Today is an earring making kind of day. I made the ones above out of left over pieces I had in my supplies box. Almost all pieces were purchased from Etsy. My favorite website of life. The hoops around the roses on the right pair were purchased on Queen street. They have some great prices at stones and findings on Queen street east. Check it out!


Finished making my button earrings. I have a jar full of gold and silver buttons so I figured why not make some earrings. All I used were some flat earring posts, a glue gun, cutting pliers, and buttons!

This is the style of button I was working with. I had to cut off the thread hole in the back.

Once I cut the back off button the center piece on the front falls out. So I used my glue gun to stick it right back on there! Once that dries I glue the earring post to the back of the button.
I also use a somewhat abrasive brush when I'm done to get any little glue pieces off.
Then voila, you have your button earrings! So easy, so addictive

Here's a few other pairs of button I made today too!

Simple flower pot

I recently purchased two plain flower pots for my balcony from dollarama. I has some extra chalk board paint laying around so I decided to decorate them!


The best thing about chalk board paint is how fast it dries.




I got some bows connectors together to dress up the pot.



Final product!





Because it's done with chalk board paint you can change the pot as much as you want. Plant a flower and write the date on the pot so you can track your flowers progress. Or you can buy your favorite herbs and label them with chalk.
So many ideas!



I'm not as happy with the other pot I painted. But I'll post it anyway, just so you can get some ideas. Also, I ended up not using my wooden bow I put aside for the pot. So I made it into a ring instead!

a place you can call your own

I love arts and crafts. All of my supplies seemed to be sprawled all over my condo so I decided to make my very own arts and crafts station. It's still in progress but I will post photos soon! Here are a few links to some great design ideas for what I'm in the process of doing.

Vintage & Lodestone has wonderful examples of craft stations done right.
Endless photo stream of craft stations from Flickeriver.com thanks to The everyday studio.
Fantastic renovation from The(newnew)blog. simply amazing!

Lush love

If you know me, you know how much I love skin care. After studying skin therapy and esthetics it has given me a hands on understanding of common ingredients used in products. I have been doing a lot of product testing and research lately to find out just what products are worth the hype. For all over body skin care Lush has proved to be a leading company in this field. 90% of Lush products don't contain water. Yes we do need water to live, but too much water on your skin can dry your skin and leave you with flakiness and an all over uncomfortable feeling. Dry skin is the leading contributor to developing early fine lines and wrinkles. We also don't want to be paying money for top of the line products only to find the active ingredient is water. So, as promised I have picked a few of my favorite lush products and share with you why the ingredients are so good for your skin.


HANDY GURUGU - $16.95
Hands down, Gurugu is one of the best products to date Lush has ever sold (in my opinion, anyway). Gurugu is a light green, very think hand cream. I always store mine in the fridge to give it an extra thickness, and cooling affect. The ingredients don't lose any vital nutrients we crave when stored in the fridge either, bonus! It's so thick, if you put it on your hands, then wash them shortly after it beads the water and continues to fight off drying agents such as water. I have asked many people on their opinions on the smell. Some loved it but to be honest, some hated it as well. To me it almost has a baby powder smell to it, I'm so in love! The active ingredient is nut butters and soothing essential oils. Having nut butters is a key indicator of how hydrating this product is going to be for you. Gurugu is essential for getting your hands through our tough, Canadian winters. But what's the absolute best part about it? Perfect for all skin types, and conditions!



DREAM WASH - $19.95
Start off your daily shower routine with this beautiful body wash. Another intensely thick product which makes it so easy to throw away your disgusting, bacteria ridden shower puff. Ew. Dream wash smells incredibly fresh and is formulated for those with sensitive, troubled skin. Safe for everyone. Although if you body is generally oily I would recommend something a bit stronger for you. Surprisingly enough my face is oily, and not that sensitive considering my skin tone, and by body is sensitive and dry. So Dreamwash is the perfect soap for almost everyone. With calamine as an active ingredient you know the soothing power in this soap is going to be amazing. But what's the best part about Dreamwash? Even though it's a thick soap when it emulsifies in water it spreads incredibly well! The smallest amount will go the longest way!




RUB RUB RUB - $17.95
Rub rub rub is a body exfoliant. It's a granule scrub so this product would not be suitable for someone with very sensitive skin. Although, you can scoop a small amount and emulsify it with some water to make it less abrasive. The active ingredient is obviously sodium chloride (salt) which gives it the exfoliating power. Because sodium chloride softens water, it leaves your skin feeling soft and rejuvenated! Combined with it's other active ingredient orange blossom, it gives it a calming floral aroma. Rub rub rub is full of essential minerals that your body craves. You should not exfoliate your body more than twice a week. Personally, I only exfoliate once a week. Over exfoliation will break down your skins natural barrier. But what's the absolute best thing about this product? Doubles up as a shampoo for the mornings you realize you ran out of your favorite shampoo! Rinse out of hair well, it is a sodium chloride based product after all!



COCO LOTION - $20.95
I know I always say to avoid water based products but for Coco lotion I make an exception! This has absolutely no added fragrances in it! Coco lotion is essential for completing you daily skin regime. When you use dreamwash and rub rub rub you're preparing and cleaning your skin for a deeper treatment. Moisturizer! If you don't moisturize after you complete all your steps you're not protecting your skin properly. The moisturizer penetrates your skin so much better on a clean surface. With an active ingredient of pumpkin seed oil you're guaranteed to get a boost of Zinc, magnesium and lots of Vitamin E! Coco lotion is very gentle and not thick like Gurugu. It helps stimulate and brighten your complexion. Coconut oil contains lauric acid. This helps fight harmful bacterias. It can also delay fine lines and dragging of the skin with it's firming power. But what's the absolute best thing about this product? Having a thin body moisturizer means the smallest amount goes a long, long way. This tub will last you for months!



LOVE LETTUCE - $7.95
This Lush fresh face mask is incredible. I can't believe a mask can feel this refreshing! This mask also has a light granule scrub action to give your skin an extra cleansing boost. It's agar seaweed based. Agar is a red seaweed. It's a great source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, iron, and even calcium. Red seaweed is known for it's firming, smoothing, and retexturizing action. It also acts as an antioxidant, improving elasticity and moisture retention. It's been said that red seaweed can block harmful ultraviolet rays and can fend off free radicals. One of the oceans richest sources of minerals, red seaweed simply works wonders on your skin. Because of its granule qualities this mask might not be the best suited for someone with sensitive skin. It's geared towards oily and combination skin. It's other active ingredient is Koalin which is an excellent absorbent. It draw out impurities and toxins cleaning the skin of unwanted dirt, pollutions, and excess oil. What's the absolute best thing about this mask? They are completely fresh! You store them in your fridge and they only last about three weeks. So it motivates you to use it! Using the mask one to two times a week depending on the condition of your skin is necessary for maintaining healthy, age defying skin!



MINT JULIP - $8.95 (although it's always on sale!)
This lip scrub is best used before applying lipstick. It will help boost the pigment when you apply a high pigment color. It is still an exfoliator so remember not to use it every day, you don't want to break down your natural barrier. In my opinion two of the best ingredients on this product are jojoba oil and peppermint oil. Jojoba oil gets rid of embarrassing flakiness and helps with reducing redness. Jojoba oil contains vital nutrients such as vitamin E and vitamin B complex. Also, it contains small amounts of iodine to fight bacteria and fungal infections. Jojoba is commonly used in acne treatments. Jojoba oil penetrates the skin and rapidly reduces water loss while softening. Plus, jojoba oil can restore your skin to it's natural PH balance. But what's the absolute best thing about Lush lip scrubs? They come in so many different flavors you're sure to find a new scrub you can't live without!

long weekend, now.

For us here in Canada, the long weekend has arrived!

I hope everyone has a lovely, relaxing weekend. I will be enjoying a nice weekend getaway alone. Expect a lot of updates, I'm in the middle of nowhere alone, with wireless internet.

On the road, I am...

Balcony, on a budget.

It's official. Blog number 2 is up and running. Although this one is completely different, it's still all done by me.

I decided to kick off my new blog with my balcony updates. I've been having a major itch for a garden. Condo living proves to make that dream near impossible. So I decided to decorate an old bookshelf I had. I got the bookshelf at ikea a few years ago for only $50.00.




So here it is. The cactus and mug were also purchased at ikea (clearly, my favorite store). The cactus was only $4.00 and the mug I got in the as is section for an amazing .99 cents! The flower on the right I found in canadian tire. Surprisingly enough, they have amazing prices on wide variety of flowers. I highly recommend buying flowers from there. All of the single flowers and mini holders were purchased at ikea as well. Nothing was over $5.00. Which is why I love Ikea so.
Watering can also from ikea. Only $6.99. Granted, it leaks more than a can with bullet holes. It's nothing I can't fix.

This little guy I also found at canadian tire. The chest he sits in I got at dollarama. Amazing!



The silver pots are from ikea. The range in sizes and prices. They start at .99 cents and don't go above $5.00. Plants are from ikea for only $4.00. White lantern is from dollarama. They have other colors as well. I think I'm going to go back and get another white one and paint it a nice tiffany blue for my arts and crafts station. Jar and flower tops are also from ikea. The jars were an amazing $2.99 and the flower tops were only $1.99 for the pack. I filled the bottom of the jar with old buttons I had laying around.


This is one of my favorites! My sister got the wooden crate from a flea market in Kingston. She purchased a few different sizes and used them as shelving in her apartment. It looks lovely! My good friend bought me the herbs. He got lavender, oregano, and thyme. I paired the herbs with this adorable flower. I only wish I could remember the name of the flower.
I shall call him Bob.


I have 2 of these guys on the balcony, and I'm so happy with them. The mugs were purchased in in the as is section of ikea for only .49 cents each. The hard part was finding a small enough flower or herb to fit in it. I was walk down parliament street downtown and came across a little corner store that had an outdoor flower section. These flowers had 4 tiny sections. 2 of each section fit perfectly in these mugs. It made me ever so happy.




Finally, my favorite part. I found this little number at ikea as well. They had this on display and I couldn't walk away from it. The entire set was only $120.00. It completely changed the appearance of my balcony. If you knew what my balcony looked like before, you would totally agree with me. I'm so happy with it, and it was surprisingly easy to set up. I recent trip to ikea told me that as summer creeps in, the price creeps up. It's now up to $150.00 in price. If you ask me, that's still not that bad. If I have people over and the weather outside isn't right, I can bring it in for my table inside too. Since the size of my place doesn't allow me to have a stationary kitchen table.


And finally, I topped off my new table with our mothers day flower pot. My mom was in Toronto during mothers day and we got this for her. But she did go back to Nova Scotia, and the flower pot did not.
It is however, perfect for my table.