Embroidery: A New Venture

Remember last week when I mentioned I needed a craft that didn't require a lot of attention and one I could do while relaxing? I think I found my craft. :)

I used to embroider with my grandma a looooong time ago. Lately a lot of crafts and things I used to do at my grandma's house has been coming back to me. I could spend hours looking at all the pretty colors of embroidery thread at the craft store and I have been wanting to make a wall mural of embroidery hoops for a while like these:

I perused Pinterest to find some more inspiration in this upcoming hobby of mine. I think I'll head to JoAnn tomorrow to get that little hobby started! Until then, here are some awesome embroidery works of art to admire:

Here are two works of art from two fellow bloggers who's blogs I follow daily!
The one on top is Katy from Sweet Verbena and the one on the right is Allison's from Crafted Love.

 Do any of you embroider? Do you have any tips on how to get started? I'm wondering what material to use as the background/base? What do you think?

A Homemade, Heartfelt Valentine

You didn't think I'd make it through a holiday without a craft, did you?

What I don't like about Valentine's Day is of course the commercialized aspect of it. I perused the Valentine aisle at Target yesterday just for the heck of it and didn't like what I saw. Who really wants a random teddy bear that says I love you? Or a $5 heart-shaped container of M&Ms? Valentine's Day shouldn't be a stressful holiday of trying to figure out what to get your significant other. My outlook is this: make your loved one feel loved by doing that one special thing you know he or she will appreciate. Whether it's their favorite candy, a back rub, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, taking time to go on a date, sending that extra text, or finding an excuse to write down exactly why you love them. I truly believe it's the meaning behind the gesture that makes Valentine's Day so special.

Kevin enjoys seeing the crafts I come up with so I knew he'd appreciate one I made just for him. This is by no means an original idea. It's been floating around Pinterest for awhile and I pinned it forever ago. Any excuse to be sappy and romantic is something I'm on board with. Here is my take on the idea.

(I'll give you a minute in case you need to throw up)

I also want to note that if you're looking for a last minute gift idea, this is NOT it. Maybe a last few hours gift idea you'd be ok. It was a little time consuming. Now to complete my thoughtfulness, I think I'll clean the apartment and cook dinner. Unfortunately Kevin is in the middle of busy season and won't be home until late so a romantic date is not in our future. Looks like it's chef Allie tonight! :)

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Vintage Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day! I personally love Valentine's Day and enjoy celebrating it (whether I'm single or not!) I know you are supposed to show love to your friends, family, and significant others all year round, but it is fun to have a day to celebrate all that LOVE and realize how lucky you are to be loved and be sure to remind those you love that you do love them!

I am usually pretty good about sending valentine's to my friends but V-Day snuck up on me too quickly this year. To my friends, family, and loyal readers, I hope you have a day that's full of love, whether you celebrate it or not.

Here are some cute little valentines from me :)

Love At First Sight

I am too excited to hold it in any longer so I'm going to go ahead and get it out... I GOT AN iPHONE!!!!!! Yep, I've joined the masses. I've had a traditional old call and text only phone since I got my first phone when I was 16. I've been waiting for my old LG to die but it was going 3 years strong. It's virtually indestructible.  Now at the age of 23, I have upgraded to a smart phone and I am SO glad I did!

What made this even sweeter was the deal we got on it! This phone was originally $200 and we had a $50 gift card to Best Buy. Due to another Best Buy promotion we ended up getting two more $50 gift cards just by signing up online! Do the math--that's $150 worth of gift cards, i.e. a $50 iPhone! It was meant to be.

I must admit the app I was most excited for was Instagram. I take a LOT of pictures so having a high resolution camera on my phone is so nice. Having all my music with me at all times is also bliss.

Do you have an iPhone? What apps are you loving?

Hair Pastel Product Review

Oh. My. Gosh. If it were legal to marry an inanimate object, I would marry these hair pastels. They are amazing! Seriously! GO BUY THEM NOW!!!!!!!!!

I finally got a chance to dress up pretty and try out these babies and I haven't been able to stop looking at my hair! I   have tested out all three of my pastels (coral, blue, and purple) and am in love with all of them. They all showed up just fine in my red/brown hair and washed out just fine as well. They did not damage my hair (I read some comments on this post where I found this idea, and a lot of people warned against them.) I colored my hair last week and it didn't mess with the color or texture or moisture in my hair either. They did turn my fingers colors while I was applying it, but it washed right out.

I started with about 4 strands, but this stuff is like a drug to me. I ended up with many strands of color and I LOVE it. Today I put on my favorite navy lace dress and purple tights and then added some purple highlights to my hair. I ran around doing errands and felt like the coolest girl in town! I did get some strange looks from the older folk at Hy-Vee and I also got some pleasant looks from the high school checkers.

Ta Da! This was right after I chalked it so it was very vibrant. It became less vibrant over time, which I am ok with. I am also standing in front of a window here, which made it look even brighter.
Here's what I did and some tips from my experience:

I tried it without water and the color wasn't as vibrant and flaked off. Lightly wet the strand of hair you want color in first.

When choosing strands, I did some from the bottom layers of my hair and some from the top. I did most of the colors toward the front and sides and a few in the back. Before chalking, the end of my pastel had a hard layer. I rubbed it on a piece of paper for awhile to get the end off so it was more smooth on my hair. I also found it easier to use the side of the chalk rather than the tip. 

Twist your damp strand and chalk in a downward motion. If you go up and down, it makes your hair ratty. When you comb it out, some of the color will fall out. Try and go just down to reduce tangles. Also, excuse my creepy eyes in these pictures.

Then I had some fun with the color accent feature on my camera.

All in all, I would definitely recommend using these pastels. They are so much fun to experiment with and they wash out in one shampoo, so there is no commitment!

Here are links to my other posts about hair chalking. You can see where I got this idea and where I purchased my pastels from.

Pastel Hair Dying
The Arrival of the Pastels
The Beauty Department (original idea)
Where to Buy Them

Why My School Is Better Than Your School

"The Interlude Dance" was created at the University of Northern Iowa (Go Panthers!) by student Ian Goldsmith who is currently the student body vice president (for those of you who want a local connection, Ian is from Dyersville, IA). The Interlude Dance is a staple at UNI, getting the student section pumped up at sporting events and giving us something to call our own. It started at UNI and has gained worldwide fame! The Interlude Dance embodies the spirit and energy of UNI students and makes me oh so proud to be a UNI Alum!

Michelle Obama stopped in Des Moines this week for her Let's Move! campaign and initiative to fight childhood obesity. I am a big fan of the first lady, so this whole thing is extra awesome for me. UNI students, including Ian Goldsmith, introduced The Interlude Dance at the conference, and the first lady took part.

Here is the video! I must say, she has some moves!

(Terry Brandstad is also in there doing the interlude if you're into that kind of thing.)

I'm a proud Panther watching this video!

Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

Pssst... Don't forget to help me out and vote for your favorite craft up top!

Craft and DIY Favorites

Hey guys! I need your help. I'm a sponsor on an awesome blog called Crafted Love this month (see this post for more exciting details!) Allison, the blog owner, is featuring one craft from each of her sponsors this month. I have been trying to decide which craft to share on her blog all week and I just can't make up my mind!

I like my crafts for personal reasons, but I want to know what crafts others appreciate so I can make the best connection with potential new readers on Crafted Love's blog.

In the top right hand corner of my blog, I have added a poll! If you could donate 5 seconds of your time, I would greatly appreciate your feedback! It's 100% anonymous, so you won't hurt my feelings! I have chosen crafts I would be completely comfortable sharing on another blog, and ideas I thought were more *unique*.

If you're new (WELCOME!) click on "Crafts" in the links on the right to view past crafts. If you're one of my loyal readers, let me know what you think! You guys know me best and you know my best work!

Thanks so much guys!