Packing Supplies

     Hey guys! We are all California bound today, but for now, I just want to make at least one outfit :-) I'm super-excited though. Here's a list of all the stuff that I have in my carry-on for plane/car entertainment:
*two books; one from the library and one from Barnes and Noble (yes, only TWO books! Me, the complete bookworm, reading only TWO BOOKS in a week! Can you believe it?)
*sketchbook and colored pencils--to draw fashions, of course!
*a Betty and Veronica comic book (that counts as a comic book, right? Or left?)
*iPod, new headphones--I have yet to decorate them, either using googly eyes or duct tape. Which do you guys think would be a cooler effect?--and charger
*String already knotted together for bracelet-making
*Ball of multicolored yarn for finger knitting
*schnazzy butterfly sunglasses that might have fit me about two years ago, but don't really now (when I say 'don't really', what I mean is 'squeezing my head to death with their... smallness')
*pink *ahem, salmon* cardigan in case of a chill on the plane
*two mechanical pencils
*little journal with taxis painted on it
     And that's about it! So now for the outfits. I was inspired by Nicole Vad to make some peppy back-to-school sets, so here we are:
 a green hedgehogs top, found on snorgtees.com--a cool website for graphic tees that have geeky inside jokes on them and stuff like that. Where else are you going to find a hoodie that says "Octopi" on it with a picture of pi, but with six extra little lines on it? 
cute white bubble skirt with a black skinny belt! For those of you who aren't really skirt people, I would recommend maybe a pair of white cargo pants, such as these: 
     OK, and shoes! If you want to be dressy, how 'bout some flats with bows on them? 
Or possibly high-tops like  these cool patchwork guys with shapes on them?
Lastly, we have some clunky animal print bangles and then the outfit is complete!The bottom one looks like it's drizzled with caramel... see you guys! I hope you have enjoyed this outfit.

Trends, pt. 2

     Velcome, velcome, everyone! Now, back to fashion. Here's the Treasury of Trends part 2, which will be my personal favorite Pinkyfads (LOL!) and possibly a few outfits that you could wear during the back-to-school period. As you all may know, our family is going to California on Friday, so I'll be able to pack my beloved jeans and red peacoat for the mid-60s weather in San Francisco and such... SCORE! :) 
     THINGS THAT I DEEM FASHIONABLE IN MY CRAZY BUBBLE OF STYLE
*kneesocks! I like black ones, but patterned and white ones are also pretty cool. Things that are great about them:
(a) They can be worn with almost anything: shorts, skirts (as long as they're not TOO long), dresses, rompers, etc.
(b) They're perfect for back-to-school because they can be added to short shorts or a short dress and warm you up if it's chilly.
(c) They come in almost any pattern, color, and texture.
(d) Rachel Berry from Glee wears them a lot, which probably makes half of you who know her groan because you don't like her, and the other half smile because on Glee, her style is not exactly, um, appreciated, but it's a Glee reference, so maybe you will wear them...?
(e) They just rock; enough said! :)
Here are some pics I found from Rookie, a great site for older teens that I mostly go to for style ideas:  Cute, mm? An easy way to make kneesocks is to (a) durr, buy them, but (b) is to take a pair of tights--maybe from when you were younger, maybe from your little sister, maybe from you because you like wearing tights; that's cool, by the way--and just make a line right on the knees of both (it's better to make them a little longer, rawther than a little shorter, because if they're too short, they won't cling properly and will fall down when you step out the door of your house/apartment/majestic castle/whatever place you may be inhabiting.
Here are some more that aren't necessarily from Rookie:    
*forehead headbands (at least, that's what I suppose they're called)! They can look kind of weird, but they also can look cool and nature-chic-y. I sometimes wear them when my hair isn't cooperating, but I don't really think it's a school look, so we shall see about these guys. Take a look!     

*houndstooth! Just the pattern itself makes my heart beat faster... I got a roll of houndstooth duct tape, and I was in HEAVEN! I encourage everyone to get tons of (a) duct tape and (b) houndstooth. What are your favorite patterns?     SOCKS!!!             
*saddle shoes! They're so very '50s retro and they're just fun shoes. They kind of remind me of my beloved Sperrys! My mom was telling me about the perils of having to wear them while cheerleading in high school, but don't they just seem great?    
*silk scarves! French, smooth, and classy...     
Hope you enjoyed this collection of ideas! Stay tuned for cute outfit ideas a la Nicole Vad...

Iron Man Triathlon

     Haaaay, guys! For those wondering how Iron Man went, it was great! I went with my dad & brother, and handed out cups of ice-cold water--"I-i-i-ice watah! Anyone for some i-i-i-ice watah?" until I said it so much that "water" didn't even sound like a real word--and salty snacks such as chips, pretzels, and strangely, chocolate chip cookies that both looked AND tasted suspiciously like Chips Ahoy... :) All in all, it was great and quite exhausting. I was pretty darn amazed by the endurance level and the hard work of the runners. There were people from Mexico, Australia, Italy, and random towns in middle America, as well as blind people and one guy who must have been in an accident or something, because both of his arms were stubs, but he still managed to cradle a water cup in the crook of his longer arm. I say great job for all of them! 
     I finally got to sleep around 11:30 or so (which is relatively late for me--hey, a girl needs her beauty sleep!), but the whole time, I just saw people in my head running up to me, sweaty but determined. It was kinda funny. And, of course, I was pretty sore the day after because of standing in the middle of the street from 2 something till 7 PM, but it was SOOO worth it! And, of course, the hot dogs, chips, and donuts that were given (among other delicious treats) to the volunteers didn't hurt... 

Treasury of Trends, pt. 1

     Hel-LO, everyone! I know I haven't been doing too many outfits to wear lately, so I'm going to do my best to give my opinions on trends right now, trends in my crazy little fashion bubble, and just cool outfits that you could wear during the summer-to-fall transition. Have fun, and be style-crazy! :)
MY CURRENT OPINIONS ON TRENDS IN THE CURRENT WORLD
that came out weird, didn't it? Durr, of course it's the current world! Whatever...
So, here are the trends that are going on right now in the universe of fashion that I do love and enjoy:
*high-waisted shorts!  These are from H&M, where I just went yesterday for some light jeans shopping. YESSS! I got some colored skinnies, regular skinnies of a lovely dark blue colour, and an adorable polka-dotted, peter-pan-collared top that reminds me of Kenley, a Project Runway season 5 contestant. *sigh* Sorry for sidetracking (SFS?); here are some more high-waisted shorts pics:     
*teashades!  I don't think I would wear them if I actually had them, but I still like the idea of them. What do you guys think? Everyone knows John Lennon wore them, but who else does? Plenty of people! I think Harry Potter wore glasses like them...    
*Vans! Nicole Vad, you have the right idea, genius girl!  They come in pretty much all colors and all combinations of colors. These look like saddle shoes:  Here're some more:     
Sorry guys, I totally forgot that I'm going to volunteer at the Iron Man triathlon now! LOL *smacks forehead* I'll continue this later for sure! thanks for listening.

Day Out in the City

     Apologies, apologies for not posting in a while. I've sorta been laying low since my sooperhectic weekend involving 2 sleepovers and one belated birthday partay! I hosted a certain friend all weekend, gave another a present with an ear on it, watched one episode of Glee multiple times just for a certain part :) and watched the troll face video in a park while on a tire swing with yet another. All in all, a great weekend! 
     Then yesterday, my mom, brothers, and I ventured into the city (thank gum I was convinced against wearing my black kneesocks, no matter how fashion-forward they may have been!) and ate at Max Brenner (for those of you who have never heard of this place before, you're seriously missing out; it's an awesome restaurant that specializes in basically chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate). Then we went to Strand, this cool bookstore with cute "novelty pins" with pictures I will share later, 'cause I'm kinda on a tight schedule. But I'll just say that I got a SQUID ONE!!! *woot woot*
     Well, I must go, but not before I make a new announcement... I have another blog, for songs that I think go well together called The Playlist Plot. Enjoy and follow, if you please! Bye for now...

Wow, Guys--It's August!

     ... the laziest, stickiest, humid-est month of the year! Today I've decided to do a post on my most favorite arts and crafts item--none other than ze duct tape roll. It's positively INSANE how many different textures, patterns, and colors Duck Tape comes in, and it's quite useful if you're an artsy type for making all sorts of accessories or jazzing up school supplies! Or if you just want to fix a leak in your sink with pizzazz, well that works too... 
     You can buy duct tape at pretty much any craft store. Possible places? My duct tape finds are from Michaels, A. C. Moore, and Five Below.
     So far, my duct tape projects have consisted of:
*matching school supplies for my desk and for school--my houndstooth ruler looks pretty cool
*decorating tissue boxes (those who are acquainted with me are aware of the fact that I'm a complete tissue box hoarder. In my defense, though, I really do use them for storage or handy-dandy organizer... tissue... boxes.)
*other random stuff that I don't really remember...
    I think it'd be cool to make a DIY activity that you guys could try, so here goes! Thanks to Google, I found a craft that's quite, um--well, it's pretty darn unique. It's something that I haven't made yet (keyword: yet), but I'd really like to cuz it looks fun. I introduce to you... the duct tape top hat! DON'T BE INTIMIDATED!! It'll look great! 

     WHAT YOU'LL NEED: 
Roll of duct tape 
Measuring tape 
Black marker 
Scissors ✄
Sheet of cardboard 

1

Measure the size of your hat. Fold a long strip of duct tape in half lengthwise so that there are no sticky areas. Wrap the strip loosely around your head and mark where it overlaps. Alternatively, use a measuring tape and record the inches (cm).

2

Make a sheet of duct tape fabric. This will form the upper section of the hat. It should measure the same length as the strip you wrapped around your head (or your recorded measurement). The width will determine the height of your top hat, and is variable depending on your preference, such as 10 inches (25 cm).

• To make the fabric, lay down strips of the tape sticky side up. Overlap the pieces lengthwise by about a 1/4 inch (.6 cm). Cover the sheet with another layer of tape sticky side down to make a full sheet that is smooth on both sides. Smooth the tape firmly as you work to avoid air pockets or wrinkles.
  
  
  
  

3

Form the duct tape sheet into a cylinder. Bring together the shorter sides and tape them together.

4

Make the top of the hat.

• Make another sheet of duct tape fabric large enough to cover the hole in the cylinder with about 2 extra inches (5 cm) on the edges of the circle.
  
  
  
  
• Place the cylinder on the duct tape sheet and trace around it.
  
  
  
  
• Draw a second circle around the first that is 2 inches (5 cm) larger on all sides. Cut out the larger circle.
  
  
  
  
• Make about 8 to 10 equally-spaced cuts from the edge of the sheet to the edges of the smaller circle.
  
  
  
  
• Fold the strips toward the center of the circle. Place the circle over the opening of the cylinder with the strips on the inside. From the opposite opening, tape the strips down to the inside of the cylinder.
  
  
  
  

5

Make the brim of the top hat.

• Using a piece of cardboard large enough to accommodate the brim, trace the shape of the cylinder onto the center.
  
  
  
  
• Draw a second circle around the first at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) wider on all sides, just as you did with the top, but larger. Cut out the larger circle.
  
  
  
  
• Cut a small hole in the center of the cardboard.
  
  
  
  
• From the center, cut 8 to 10 equally-spaced strips from the center hole to the edges of the smaller circle. This will create the hole for your head.
  
  
  
  
• Fold the strips upward and tape them to the inside of the cylinder.
  
  
  
  
• Cover the top and bottom of the brim with duct tape.
  
  
  
  

6

Finished.

 Hope you enjoyed this, and good luck! xx