Wednesday, August 29, 2012

rhinestone bracelet diy

I know that stackable bracelets are kind of a summer thing, but I honestly believe that with the right colors, they'll look really nice in the fall as well. I made this bracelet to pass the time while traveling. It's relatively easy to do and low cost so it's definitely worth the try.

I used two colors here but you can use one if you would like. I think that a burgundy would look really nice because I have been obsessed with that color lately. All you need is embroidery floss, a safety pin, and a strip of rhinestones which can all be found at Walmart or a craft store like Micheals.

I am  really bad teacher so I'll leave you with these pictures and This link to a tutorial that teaches you how to create a bracelet like this. The only difference is that I used the rhinestone strip in the center.

Good luck!









Monday, August 27, 2012

my thoughts: jillian micheals cleanse

Not too long ago I saw a pin on pinterest for jillian michael's recipe to lose 5 pounds of bloat in 7 days. I was skeptical at first but I decided to give it a try because it seemed relatively low risk and who's not down to beat the bloat? 

I could't find just dandelion root tea at Walmart so I used a combination detox bag from yogi. My initial reactions were that the flavors were bizarre together. It's not something that I can pinpoint but it just tasted weird to me. It did get better throughout the week, though, and it definitely tastes better really really cold. 

I had been stuck on a certain weight for many months and within the first two days of this cleanse I managed to drop three pounds. My stomach looked flatter and I felt more confident without changing much else than drinking this throughout the day. Unfortunately, that was the extent of the effect. I gained my weight back at the end of the cleanse and I was back to my original weight in no time.

I understand that this is a temporary diuretic and for that use only, I think that it worked well. It's definitely not something that I would recommend long term but if you are looking for a quick fix for an event then try it out. I don't think that I would do it again because I can't get over the taste, and the peeing every hour is quite inconvenient.

On the plus side, my tea bags had a few really good quotes so I'll leave you with some of those:
  • Strength does not lie in what you have. It lies in what you can give.
  • You will feel fulfilled when you do the impossible for someone else.
  • We are here to love each other, serve each other, and uplift each other



Sunday, August 19, 2012

Thrift Tips


Last weekend was a 50% off everything day at the discount family outlet which means one thing...marathon thrifting with my mother! And I mean marathon, that lady can shop for hours and I sometimes have to bring snacks to hold me over. I love it but it can be overwhelming for some so I wanted to share some of my top tips for thrifting:
1. Allow yourself some time. It takes a lot of time and patience to sift through everything in the store, but I recommend that you do, for the most part. There's only one of each item so it can be hard to see so you might miss out on something great if you don't.

2. Stuff anything in your cart that looks like something you may use. You can go ahead and sift through it later. I just find this easiest for me, especially if certain colored tags are on sale because I tend to forget which colors are on sale. Also, some things look differently on the hanger so it's good to try things on and see what works and what doesn't. Which brings me to my next point...

3. Try things on. Some places have fitting rooms, some don't. For those that don't there are usually mirrors which you can look in to help you use your best judgement. 

4. Don't be afraid to get creative. Not everything is going to fit exactly how you want or be exactly what you want. I like to use this as a time to be creative. You can find items for cheap that may look better with studs or maybe pants look better as shorts. Also, adding a belt to something can help it fit better. I tend to do a lot of cutting and sewing with my thrifted items and I don't feel bad because I didn't spend too much money on them. Plus, it's fun to do.

5. Experiment with textures, styles, and patterns. I think that the thrift store is the best place to do this because you aren't spending a fortune on a style that you may not like later or only wear a few times. It is a great place to find unique pieces so you should definitel take advantage of that.

Happy Thrifting!
Brown Flats, Head Scarf, Coach Bag, and JCrew Shorts all found at various thrift stores

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Clearwater, Florida

While my parents were helping Amy move into her new apartment, Jeff and I Spent the day at Clearwater Beach. It is definitely more of a touristy place than the other beaches we had been to, which has its ups and downs. The beach is more crowded, but there were a ton of shops and things to do.
We went around a time when they were featuring dolphin statues which were each painted differently by local artists. You can tell that some really spent a lot of time and effort working on theirs and, collectively, it is something worth checking out.
Probably the highlight of my day was taking a spontaneous dolphin watching tour. I had never seen wild dolphins up until then and it was amazing. Dolphins had always been my favorite animals growing up so I was extremely excited to see them. We found a pod and, even though they were sleeping, they were absolutely beautiful to watch float in and out of the water. The tour also takes you to see some of the million dollar homes in the area owned by various celebrities who almost always belonged to the church of Scientology and did a pretty good job of pointing out other points of interest as well.
Every day around sunset at the pier they have a festival with vendors and street performers. It's a great environment to walk around in, the vendors are all so talented, and the sunset was gorgeous. Definitely a way to end the day.





















Where you can see The Hulk, Popeye, Harry Potter, the red fish, and even the blue fish all in one day

Islands of Adventure is one of my favorite theme parks around Orlando. Since Amy gets discounted tickets through school, Jeff hasn't been at all, and I haven't been to Harry Potter World, I jumped at the opportunity to go.
Funny story about this picture, there was supposed to be the Islands of Adventure Tower in the background. That was the whole point of taking the picture. I guess the guy taking it didn't really understand even though we had just taken theie picture for them in front of the tower.

I think I most look forward to riding the Hulk when I come here (that's what she said). It's my favorite ride and I love when the line cuts down to fifteen minutes in the afternoon and I can ride it multiple times in a row.
The Spiderman ride is my second favorite. They got new "night vision goggles!" I think we should be models.
Another funny story...I took this exact same picture a few years ago but didn't understand what it was supposed to be so my legs are going the wrong direction and I have a look on my face that makes no sense. This one came out a lot better.
Harry Potter World is beautiful and I felt like a child at Disney World the entire time I was there.  The shops and streets are designed to make you feel as if you are actually at Hogsmeade and even include butter beer and every flavored beans. I had heard that the ride makes you dizzy so I wasn't sure if I was going to like it going in. I actually thought it was a lot of fun as long as you don' t let your head bang around too much. I didn't even mind waiting in the line because you take a trip through Hogwarts which had a ton of stuff to look at.







I had to ride the carousel. It's a staple at every theme park.
If you have the time, the citywalk before you enter Universal or Islands of Adventure can be just as fun. I have been wanting to hit up Margaritaville ever since I saw it in Vegas. They had really good live music which almost always gets me to want to stay at a place, plus the nachos are ridiculous. Just a heads up if you plan on going, we thought that we would be able to see the fireworks from here but we only caught a glimpse of the tops of a couple.

They also have some really cute shops to look around in. Amy said that this reminded her of me and I think it's adorable. If I had the money to spend on a mug I would spend it on this one.
There was also this shop called Art by Amy which had some of the most amazing jewelry charms and pieces to look at. You can customize your own bracelets and necklaces which I thought was really cool. It's definitely worth the time to look around. Here is the website if you want to check it out.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Pass A Grille, Florida

To be honest, I didn't really have high expectations for this beach. It's another beach on the Gulf and word on the street was that it was hit hard by storms. It turned out to be beautiful and a we had a really fun time. There were a ton of fish, slugs, and crabs to play with and look at. We even caught a glimpse of two baby hammer head sharks.

 colors
 diva
 the view
 classic
 this guy
 just remember to shuffle your feet for stingrays while your run
 our crab and slug friends
 shore
 marina
 the guys 
 and girls
 two for one daiquiris
two for one fish buckets...its all about the deals