My Own Scarf Design

After trying out a couple t-shirt scarf designs I found amidst the vast information on the interwebs, I decided to try and come up with my own. I'm usually not the best at original creations, but I'm pretty impressed with what I came up with.

When I decided I wanted to branch out and create my own interpretation of the t-shirt scarf, I began by looking at the copies I had already made. The second scarf I made had been my favorite so far, so I wanted to make one with that basic design. I took the looping feature and combined that with a braided look. I've seen some braided designs online, but most of these have required a sewing machine. Unfortunately, I don't have one at this point, so I have to make do with knots and ties and all the t-shirt strips that accompany a "no sew" craft.

I cut out strips from a light pink, dark pink and a black shirt, stretched them out and placed them in separate groups. I made a variety of braids, little ones, short ones, long ones, five stranded ones and ones with half knots and half braids. Some of the strands were really long so I used my toes to hold the end while I braided it completely. This worked out really well, although my toes did cramp up a few times. Since I braided over a dozen individual braids by hand, this took me quite a while. I watched tv again, as I tend to do as I make these scarves. I ended up watching several episodes of Being Human before I finished it.

Once I had a good amount of colors and braids, I tied each end together. Then I took a black strand, cut it and wrapped it around both ends, making the scarf a circle. I used three strands before it looked even and was completely sturdy and connected.

I'm very happy with the end result of this scarf. It's not quite as warm as the first two, but it's still very comfortable. I made it so I can either wear it looser, like a necklace, or loop it more around my head to create more of a scarf look.

My favorite aspect of this type of craft, is that it allows for so much modification and creativeness. Each scarf I make will always be different than the last. I cannot wait to make more, but I've run out of t-shirts so I will have to go back to Michael's or find a thrift store and buy a bunch more :).

My Favorite Pancakes

I love breakfast. If I could eat breakfast for every meal, I probably would most of the time. I also love to cook. I dream of cooking meals for my family someday. So, it's only natural that when I get the chance, I try out new recipes for me and Alex. I've found a few that are super easy and he loves them almost as much as I do, so I make and modify them a lot.

My favorite recipe right now is a Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancake one that I originally found on allrecipes. However, I've made it so many times that I've modified it a lot.

I'm actually lactose intolerant so I have to change a lot of recipes to accommodate my annoying condition. While it can be very frustrating, and oftentimes it means I have to make half with dairy and half without, it's also been a little fun, learning to find alternatives to dairy that still taste almost as good.

Ingredients you will need:
1 cup almond milk or yogurt
2 T applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda

Tips for ingredients before I get into the making of these delicious pillows of yumminess!

First, I use Original Silk Almond Milk. I've tried all the kinds of almond milk that both Almond Breeze and Silk have to offer and this is my favorite. It's the perfect balance of sweet and not sweet and it's low in calories. Second, you can use vegetable oil instead of applesauce but Alex and I didn't notice any difference, so I figured I may as well cook a bit healthier.

Well, back to the actual making of the pancakes. Mix the milk/yogurt with the applesauce, egg and vanilla. Then add the dry ingredients and mix all together. Drop batter onto a skillet and flip once you see bubbles on the top of the pancakes. And there you have it! Delicious pancakes! See, that was easy, right?

I usually use a bit of peanut butter and syrup on top before diving in!

Another T-shirt Scarf Night

I had a blast making t-shirt scarves the other weekend and since then I've found several more t-shirt scarf "patterns." Since I purchased quite a few t-shirts at Michael's, I figured, why not try out a few of these other ideas and have a variety of scarves. I love scarves and these are some of the comfiest I've worn.

This second design was also found on Pinterest. The thing I love most about all these different scarves is that they all use the same basic steps. Therefore, if you have tried the first one, the rest are easy peasy.

The original design for this scarf (found on ettestudios.com) uses just one color of shirt. I used two. You copy the first step of the other scarf and cut the same basic strips out of the t-shirts. After stretching them out, divide them into two groups. I took ten red strips and six black strips in each group and placed them next to each other, as the picture below shows.

You then take another strip, cut it and tie the two groups together. Do the same to the other ends, making a circle. The final step is to wrap the remainder of the strip you tied around each end of the loops around and around and around and around... well, you get the picture. I tied a knot at the end and creatively tucked it in so it wouldn't show. You then have your scarf!

I actually like this one better than the first design I made. It's cozier and it hugs my neck tighter. It's so cozy that I forget I'm wearing it all the time. I actually went to bed with it on.

Hope you enjoy and happy crafting :).

An Amazing Find

When it comes to purchasing items on the internet, I tend to be slightly skeptical of most transactions. I despise PayPal and eBay, as I've had a few bad experiences, and I don't trust any small websites that have little to no reputation for security or holding themselves accountable to the customer. I usually only use amazon.com, a website I love very dearly.

On what may seem a completely unrelated note, I have pretty horrible eyesight. I've had glasses since I was in Kindergarten. I hate not being able to see, so I wear my contacts almost all the time, even when sleeping (oops!). My only pair of glasses broke about 6 months ago and I simply have not been able to find the motivation to purchase another $200+ pair.

So, based on the information, you can imagine my combination of skepticism and enthusiasm when my boyfriend, Alex, brought to my attention a website based in China called Zenni Optical. This website has a ridiculous amount of prescription glasses available, all under $50. It sounded too good to be true. I doubt I would have ever ordered any if Alex hadn't already bought from them a few years back and had been very happy with his purchase.

The process requires a few tools, but, all in all, is relatively easy. You need a ruler and some form of camera. You take a picture of yourself holding the ruler, centimeter side, up to your eyes. You can either zoom in on the picture or download it onto a computer and then you count how many centimeters it is from one pupil to the next (called pupil distance or pd on the website). After figuring this measurement out, you can start to pick out your glasses!

You can search different styles, shapes, colors and different sized lenses all by clicking through the column on the left of the website. Another feature available is a model on the right side of the menu. You can upload a photo of yourself and see what the glasses will look like on yourself. While not completely accurate, this feature does really help you see how the size of the frame will look. At times Zenni Optical has sales, but even without that, the orders are always surprisingly cheap. All glasses come with ant-scratch coating, UV protection, thing and light single vision lenses, a case and a microfiber cleaning cloth. 

Alex and I each chose three frames we liked. My three choices were all $10 or less a piece. Alex's were slightly more expensive, but after purchasing six pairs of glasses, all prescription, and paying for shipping and handling, we still paid under $90. I even have astigmatism in both eyes and I didn't have to pay any extra costs. They give you several boxes to enter information in, but unless you have any special conditions, you simply have to enter your basic prescription and pupil distance. They offer anti-reflection coating and the option of tinting the lenses different colors. These cost extra, but usually no more than $10 an option.

Since these glasses are being shipped from China, it does take 2-3 weeks to get your glasses. We received all our glasses, intact, and all were pretty much exactly what we expected. Below are pictures of the six prescription pairs we got from the website. I've gotten tons of compliments on these glasses and many people have asked if they're fake, because who can afford three pairs of prescription glasses? If you're buying from Zenni Optical, you better believe you can afford a variety of pairs! I've had a blast being able to accessorize and dress to my different glasses :).

A black pair for me.

A purple pair that is slightly more rectangular.

The one pair of Alex's he isn't completely sold on (also the cheapest pair he got).

Alex's second pair of black glasses.

Alex's turtle frames that are super sexy :).

The same type of frame as the black ones I got, but in red.

Wearing the red ones!

A couple other notes... Next time I purchase glasses from Zenni, I will be trying the anti-reflection coating. It's $7 a pair, I believe. The glasses don't reflect too much without it, but I'm a little OCD about my glasses being clean and I've found that I tend to think something's on them when it's merely a reflection. The total for my three pairs of glasses was under $30, so I figure, why not splurge and get the extra coating. Also, when browsing the different pairs, there's a measurement to take note of. It is the temple length. All my glasses were around 145 cm. Alex and I have pretty large gourds for heads, so he tried to get ones with around 160-170 cm temple length. If you have an old pair of glasses, you can measure this pretty easily too.

Craft Recap: T-shirt Scarf

Recently I joined Pinterest and I have fallen completely in love with it. I've been finding many different crafts, recipes, and even make-up options that I cannot wait to try. My favorite category has been the DIY one and many of these items are made for anyone to be able to recreate.

I've always considered myself a crafty individual, but I just haven't done much outside of work to that effect. This past weekend, I finally found the time and motivation to try one of the crafts. It's a t-shirt scarf. The original website for this (as far as I can tell) is from Cut out + Keep. I preferred to look at the instructions from this website though, as they are clearer and have more photos detailing the steps.

It took me a bit longer than it states on the websites. I made two and spent around 2.5 hours doing so. I watched my boyfriend, Alex, play Assassin's Creed: Revelations while I worked on them and the time passed very quickly. It was almost therapeutic.

I made two scarves, one normal and one circle scarf. I've worn both and love, love, love them! They are the most comfortable scarves I've worn and I even forget at times that I'm wearing them at all.

I do have a couple tips or bits of advice when it comes to making these. The bigger the shirts, the more loops you'll get, which makes a thicker scarf. I made the grey and blue scarf with tighter loops and that makes it a bit warmer. Also, the hem doesn't last long when it comes to cutting it up to use to tie the loops together. I cut them a bit longer than 5" and made sure to double knot them so they won't come undone. I ran out pretty quickly, so I simply cut strips from the t-shirt arms and used those. You can't tell a difference and they actually were easier to tie than the hem pieces.

I bought a bunch of different colored t-shirts at Michael's for $3 a piece. I looked at Target but the cheapest ones I could find were $8. I know the instructions say to use old t-shirts you have in your closet, but I already got rid of almost all my old clothes a couple months back. The grey shirt is an old one of my boyfriend's but the rest were just new, cheap ones I bought. Ultimately, each scarf still only cost me about 5 bucks to make.

I can't wait to make more of these. I will definitely be using this as a gift idea in the future :).

Jambalaya Recipe

I may not have fulfilled all my resolutions this week, but I definitely had fun. My job hired a new employee to help out with the infants, so I didn't work quite as long of a week as usual. This means that I had some extra time to work on some crafts and try some new recipes!

I tried a really great Jambalaya recipe that I altered and made my own. It's easy to make, delicious and reheats really well. I got the original recipe from allrecipes.com.

Charity's Jambalaya

2 T vegetable oil

1 package of boneless chicken breasts (4), cut into bite size pieces

1 package of spicy sausage (6 links), cut into bite size pieces (or can use 1lb of ground sausage instead)

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 of a large white onion, diced (can add more or less depending on like or dislike of onion)

3 large cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed

1/4 rounded t cayenne pepper

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

3 c rice

4 c chicken broth

2 c water

3 T Worcestershire sauce

hot sauce to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. I use vegetable oil because recently I've learned that once heated too high, olive oil actually becomes worse for you. Add onion and cook until soft. Then add chicken and sausage and brown. Add green pepper and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir thoroughly. Add rice and brown for a couple minutes. Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, stir and serve! Voila!

It took me about an hour to make this. I've been eating the leftovers for a couple days now and it's still just as good. Mmmm!

You can add shrimp to this, as well as other vegetables (mushrooms, red bell pepper, celery). Traditional Jambalaya almost always has shrimp. I didn't this time, simply because I only like fresh shrimp and I didn't have time to make a trip and purchase good shrimp. Also, I used sticky rice (Nishiki rice) as I prefer it that way. You could also use brown rice if you prefer. One last point is that I will probably use ground spicy sausage next time. The skin on the sausage links made it a bit hard to slice and I ended up peeling most of it off.

I don't have a picture, as my stomach took over and I dished in before I thought to take a picture, but I promise future recipes will be accompanied by photos :).

Tomorrow: T-shirt scarves

New Year Resolutions...

... or simply general changes that I want to make in my life.

I am extremely blessed right now in my life. I have a wonderful family that, while they live a ways away, talk to me a lot and we have a very good relationship at the moment. I have a great job that I look forward to going to every day (or almost every day). I have an amazing boyfriend who constantly amazes me with his patience, guidance and love. Life is great and I have a lot to be thankful for.

While all the extrinsic aspects of my life are going very well, I have been struggling with a few inner issues. I have muddled through them and learned a lot about myself in the last month, but they are still a work in process. I made the decision last week that, in order to turn these problems, weaknesses, and worries into successes I need to make some personal changes in the way I look at things and how I am living my life. If I can work on being proactive and more positive, I know I can start working towards being a happier and productive individual.

1. I want to start working out again. I have been slacking a lot on that and it won't be easy. I move out of my apartment in a month which has a fitness area. For the next 5 months I'll be sharing space until I can find a place to live closer to my job. So, I will have to find opportunities to work out whether it means working out inside to movies on Netflix or finding a cheap fitness club I can get a month by month membership to. For the next month, I can still work out at my apartment, so that's what I'll do until I have to find an alternative option.

Currently: Not working out at all

Goal: Month 1 - Working out at least 3 times a week 30 mins +

2. I want to start eating healthier again. I go in waves and currently I am devouring any and everything in sight. I feel sluggish and my digestive system gets messed up when I eat poorly and I need to make better choices.

Currently: Whatever

Goal: No fried food. Eating fruits and veggies everyday. Using a food journal app on my iPhone (now that I actually have one).

3. I want to cut back on the alcohol. I have been drinking every weekend for a while now (not necessarily getting drunk but having at least one drink every weekend). It's making me feel bloated and sluggish and my stomach has been messed up more than usual. My mom sent me some medical information about how drinking can affect your risk for cancer and other unpleasant health issues. I want to cut back for my own peace of mind, as well as the hope that I will feel better.

Currently: Drinking once to twice a week.

Goal: Drinking once to twice a month.

4. I want to start going to church every week. I need to strengthen my faith. I've been battling a lot of insecurity and fear lately and I need to go to God with my problems. It will help me mentally, physically and emotionally to start going to church. It's one hour a week that I can dedicate to God.

Currently: Going to mass off and on.

Goal: Going to church every week.

5. I want to blog consistently. I miss writing a lot and I need a place I can keep myself accountable and go over the events of the past week. I can keep track of what I'm eating, if I'm working out, any thoughts (good or bad) that have affected my week. I've been keeping a lot of things inside and they've been coming out very sideways lately. I know that once I think about it and converse with myself that I see the situation in a new light and I'm able to understand the real reason for whatever I'm feeling or thinking. Having a place to work things out will help alleviate some of the emotional extremity I've been prone to.

Currently: Pretty much not blogging at all.

Goal: Blogging once a week.

6. I want to do something new every week. Whether it's a new recipe, restaurant, workout or picking up old projects I never finished or starting a new one, I want to get back into more activities. I have a lot of video games I want to start and finish and I would love to get back into knitting. I've been looking on Pinterest a lot lately and I've found a lot of crafts I'd love to do as well.

Currently: I'm a bum.

Goal: Every week trying to take time to intentionally do something different or new.

7. I want to be a better a girlfriend. Alex has been an amazing support in every aspect ever since I started dating him. He's always there for me no matter what the issue is. He's great at apologizing and he not only listens and offers advice but he also tries to look at situations from different perspectives. I want to try and help him more. I would like to make meals more often, keep him room cleaner and offer to help out with laundry, ironing. I can't help him with his IT stuff or a lot of other areas that he is involved in, but I can help create an area that he can feel comfortable in. I also want to be stronger emotionally. I want to a healthier person so he doesn't have to worry or deal with my occasional outbursts. He takes such good care of me, I would like to return the favor in the ways I can.

Ultimately, I want to do the things I know I should and create healthy habits. I want to appreciate the people I love and not disappoint them. I don't want to be a selfish person and I want to be able to look outside myself and focus on helping others more than I focus on my own needs and wants. This is my New Years Resolution and, realistically, a life long resolution.