NEW BLOG POST SERIES COMING YOUR WAY!

Hey, everybody! I hope you're all doing fabulously well! I just wrapped up the second semester of my Junior year here at school, and just like last summer I'll be working on campus in the PR office. I consider myself very blessed to have a job I love so much!

What this means for you is a new series (hopefully mixed in with posts about my goings-on over the summer)! My plans for the (yet un named) series are to present to you a new way to create, modify, or repair a clothing item each week, and every tutorial will include at least one item that you probably already have at home!

A few to look out for over the summer include:

• A DIY sundress using a t-shirt you already own.
• How to repair the dreaded inner-thigh rip in your jeans.
• How to re-cover TOMS (or other canvas shoes).
• An updated (and hopefully simpler) DIY on how to stencil t-shirts.
• Many much more!

So keep a look out for crafty clothing DIYs coming soon to a computer-enabled device near you!

Stay Crafty!

Larra

On Volunteering at the Color Run

Do you like getting covered in color, meeting new friends, and getting a free t-shirt, but you aren't so keen on running? Then I highly recommend volunteering at the Color Run when it comes to your city! On Saturday my roommate Valeri and I went down to St. Louis to volunteer at the Color Run. We had no idea what we would be doing, but we got lucky and were assigned to be "color throwers," the people who pelt the runners with colored corn starch along the race course. Despite the fact that mother nature rained on us for most of the time, we had an awesome experience and can't wait to go back next year!

Now, anyone who knows me can tell you, when I get excited about doing something, I research the crap out of it. I make lists, read review blogs, watch YouTube videos, and basically gather as much information as I possibly can. However, when it comes to the Color Run, there seemed to be tons of advice for runners, but not a whole lot for volunteers. So, here I present to you a list of tips for Color Run Volunteers:

• Show up to check in a little early. We showed up about 15 minutes early and we were asked where we wanted to volunteer.
• If you have some sort of delusions that you will be less messy than the runners, you couldn't be more wrong. As such, bring a full change of clothes. Like, down to your underwear. Everything you wear while volunteering will end up in a trash bag in your trunk.
• On that note, bring a trash bag to put your dirty clothes in. Your car will thank you.
• Bring wipes and/or washcloths and gallon jugs of water to clean yourself off with after the race.
• Bring cash for parking. Most Color Runs are held in large cities where you will have to pay to park, and most lots/garages won't take cards.
• On that note, bring your ID and bank card.
• Make sure to eat before you arrive and make plans to eat right after you leave. You'll be wiped out and super hungry.
• Dress to work, you'll probably be doing more manual labor than you think. Along with throwing color, we helped to do all of the set-up and break-down for the orange color zone which included unloading and assembling flags and inflatables as well as unrolling tarps on each side of the track and hauling around barrels of color. What I'm saying is, a sundress and flip flops aren't going to cut it.
• Bring sheets or drop cloths to cover your car's seats. Unless you're after a custom rainbow-colored interior. 
• Make friends with your fellow volunteers, be enthusiastic, and have fun!

Volunteering was a really great time and I highly recommend it for almost anyone (little kids are probably a no-go, but the 12+ set will have a blast!)! So sign up to volunteer, get a free shirt, and have an awesome day!

DIY Lens Burritos

Behold! The long-awaited (Sorry, Sarah!), much anticipated How to make a DIY lens burrito blog tutorial! Wheee! Here goes....

 

Why It's Convenient to Be Crafty

    So... I'm shamefully aware that I haven't posted a blog in a while. I'm really trying to get better about that. Presently I'm working on my Junior Seminar, so hopefully I'll get around to posting some of my more lovely shots. Anyway, I wanted to post something quick before I scurry off to choir rehearsal, so I give you:

Why It's Convenient to Be Crafty

1. Whenever you need a gift for someone (birthday, baby shower, thanks-for-helping-me-move, etc) people always love hand made gifts. A friend helped me move (twice!) last summer, and as a thank-you I gave him a mug that I made. He was so excited about it!
2. You see a dress/skirt/bag you love, (on Modcloth, at Target, whatever) but it's out of your price range. Never fear! You can make that yourself! (This is especially handy when you're in college and more than six dollars is "out of your price range.")
3. You have a convenient source of income that doesn't require that you even leave your house. You're already making beanies/necklaces/backpacks/dresses/lens cozies/headbands, so why not make money while you're doing it?
4. You make all kinds of friends in your college dorm because you have all sorts of oddball tools/supplies that people never knew they needed. Pliers? Check! Iron? Check! Stamping ink? Check! 23 colors of glitter? Check! 3 different finishes of Mod Podge? Check! Spring-loaded scissors? Check!
5. You can do all of your own mending! You are not among those silly folk who have to throw away their favorite pair of jeans just because they have a mere tear in the thigh or a hole in the pocket!
6. You will also make tons of friends because people know that you know how to do really oddball things like stencil t-shirts with no screen printing supplies, fix broken suspenders, develop film photographs, and a whole other list of unusual activities.

There are obviously many other reasons, but that's what you get for now. Have an excellent Tuesday night!

So, It's December...

Hello, my fine readers (all 8 of you.), so it's December and I haven't published any posts since October 5th...

Oops....

Anyway, I've had a crazy busy semester. Just one thing after another on the personal chaos front and (to put it in perspective for you) taking on Junior Seminar actually seems less stressful than having to live the past semester over again. The good news is, it will be over in 4 days and I can spend a month basking in the fabulousness of my friends and family.

Does anyone out there have any amazing plans for Christmas (or your chosen winter holiday) break? I'm going to take part in the aforementioned basking as well as having myself a belated 21st birthday party! I'm also going to try to land a few small photography jobs, so hit me up on Facebook if you need pictures of any sort! I can even shoot black and white film for you few purists out there.

Also, I just sneezed with soda in my mouth and ended up spitting it all over my tank top, so that's a thing that happened.

On that note, I'll be changing my shirt now. Have a lovely evening and look forward to some fun DIYs as Christmas grows closer (and the broke among us grow more desperate for gift ideas)!

The Hipster Conundrum

    A "thing" recently is Hipsters. Hipsters I guess are supposed to have a love of all things off-beat, indie, or vintage, and eschew anything that could be considered popular or mainstream, unless they like it ironically. Hipsters are huge into dry wit and irony.

   The term "hipster" means so many things these days that I'm pretty sure I could relevantly attach it to almost anyone. Except Snookie. Snookie is not a Hipster.

    Anyway, a lot of my friends call me a hipster. I used to argue with them about it, but I've just kind of accepted it at this point. I mean, if someone calls you a hipster and you come back with, "No, I'm not!" all they're going to say is, "That's what all hipsters say." and if you just agree with them, well then you've agreed with them. I mean, I love a good thrift shop as much as the next girl, I could spend hours drooling over so-ugly-they're-cute clothes on American Apparel, and I'm sarcastic as the day is long, also, I've started ironically calling myself a hipster, just to confuse people.

Saving Summer Memories: The Harvest Moon Drive-In

    Okay, folks, you're going to have to excuse this shamelessly promotional post, because it's really important to me.

    How many of you have ever gone to a drive-in movie? Those of you who have know that it's an experience like none other, and those that haven't are missing out. When you go to a drive-in movie you're not just going into a theater, sitting down, and watching a film, you're having an experience. You get there early to ensure a good parking spot. You enjoy the cheesy old music playing on the radio while you grill out, spend time with friends and family, and wait for the movie to start. Maybe you plan to watch the movie from the comfort of your lawn chairs, or maybe you're relaxing with blankets and snacks in the back of your date's el camino, or maybe you have 4 teenagers crammed in the front of your boyfriend's tiny car so everyone can see. No matter what you're doing, you're sure to have an experience that's uniquely yours. 

    Drive-ins are literally the perfect Friday night for anyone: families with little kids, nursing moms, families with teenagers, dates, groups of friends, mom and dad's date night. You can enjoy the drive in any way you need to, so you can do whatever is easiest and most comfortable for you and your group. 

    Here's where it gets sticky: The Harvest Moon Drive-In is scheduled to close next year if they can't raise $120,000 to convert their facilities to play digital films, which really really sucks. So many people, myself included, have a lifetime of memories at the Harvest Moon from family trips, dates with boys, to taking my best friend on a "date" and tumbling out of the back of my van :P the Harvest Moon has been a part of some of my favorite memories, and I can't imagine my kids not being able to make their own memories there in the future. So if you have even a dollar to spare, would you do me a favor? Head over to The Harvest Moon's Kickstarter campaign and show your support for one of our nation's fastest dwindling icons. Also, check out their website and see why it's an amazing place worth saving.

Countdown to College: Good Gifts and Target's "College Stuff" List

    Hear that whizzing sound? That's the rest of Summer 2012 flying by, and guess what? That means most of us have about 2 weeks to finish up our back-to-school shopping. Now, if you're new at this college thing, chances are you're freaking out at least a little bit about what you need to bring. The list your school gave you at orientation seems a little light, and you don't want to show up with wayyy more stuff than can fit in your dorm room, so here are a few tips to get started:

1. Check your school's website for things you absolutely cannot have in your dorm room, especially when it comes to small cooking appliances and pet policies. 
2. If possible, schedule a time to visit your dorm room to get a feel for how much space you'll have and to measure for things like rugs and curtains if they're not provided by your school.

    Okay, about Target's list. The first thing to remember is, as much as I love Target (ask anyone who knows me, I reeeally love Target), they are a store and the first purpose of this list is to get you to buy things. On the flip side, it actually does suggest several items that will be very helpful and you may not have thought about bringing. So, below you will find three lists: Things from the list that you DON'T need, things from the list that you DO need, and things you DO need that aren't on the list.

Things From the List You Don't Need:

• A "lounge chair." Unless you have a huge bedroom, you probably won't have space for one. Now you could go all fraternity chic and buy an inflatable chair so you could store it when it's not in use.
• A wall clock. Chances are you're bringing at least two of the following: a cell phone, a watch, an iPod, or an alarm clock. All of these will tell you the time.
• Decorative pillows. This goes right back to the space issue. That being, you don't have any.
• Poster frames. Unless you're super anal about keeping your posters pristine, you can just roll them all up in a large mailing tube and transport them that way, then tape/command strip/sticky tack them to your wall. Frames for all of them are just more things to have to carry in and out of your dorm.
• Door mirror. Disclaimer: This is one of those things to look for on your dorm visit. Most of the dorms I've seen provide one for you, but I can imagine there are some that don't.
• Microwave. Again, check your school's policy. Most schools I've seen don't allow them in your dorm room, but provide one for the floor/dorm to use.
• Toaster oven. See the note for the microwave.
• Dish caddy. I don't even know what a dish caddy is. I just carry my dishes to the sink, and if I have too many I rinse out my plastic laundry basket and use that.
• Webcam. Disclaimer: If you have a desktop computer, you may need one. Most laptops, however, come with one built in.
• Calculator. Unless you're a math major or another major which requires high math, the one in your phone will probably do just fine.
• Tablet. If you have a computer you don't really need a tablet. I'm sure they're nice to have, but not something I would consider a "need."
• Gaming system. I know many of my friends would contest this, but this is just something I don't see as a "need" based item.

Things From the List You Do Need:

• "Bed bug protection kit" or just a regular mattress cover. Just because you never know what happened on that mattress last year. Just sayin'.
• Disinfecting wipes. Three simple reasons: vomit, flu season, and disease spreads faster in dorms than head lice in preschool.
• Alarm clock, because nobody likes getting up for 8am classes.
• Underbed storage. Remember that your dorm room is probably tiny and underbed storage is a great way to get a lot of use out of a largely underused storage area.
• 3M Command Hooks. These are awesome, especially when you're not allowed to put holes in the walls with nails or tacks. They will hold up significant weight (Just not an entire fan. Story available upon request.) and don't damage paint.
• Bed risers. To reeeeally get the most out of your underbed storage, bed risers can add up to 8 inches of space.
• Shower caddy. Slippery bottles, loofahs, razors, and my toothbrush all have one thing in common: you can't carry them all to the shower in your hands and still hold your towel up, and for the love of God, please hold your towel up.
• Iron. Good for so many things: pressing dress clothes, doing arts and crafts, making grilled cheese Benny and Joon style.
• Coffee maker. Among the things you can make in a coffee maker: tea, ramen noodles, rice krispie treats, and also coffee.
• Power strips and extension cords. Among the things to look for if you see your room before you move in is how many outlets there are and where they are located.

Things From the "Stuff for Apartments" List You Do Need:

• Broom & Dustpan or Vacuum
• Toilet paper. If you live in a dorm, chances are that the janitorial service doesn't work weekends, and that means your bathroom may run out of toilet paper. Which is crappy. See what I did there?
• Duct tape. Duh.
• A box fan, especially if your dorm room isn't air conditioned.
• Small tool kit with things like a screwdriver, a box knife (if allowed in dorms), duct tape, a flashlight, etc.

Things Not On the List That You Do Need:

• Baby wipes. Trust me, they're good for everything from cleaning up sticky spills to taking off make  up.
• A well-stocked first aid kit. You can use this link to get to a blog post where I discuss how to make one.

    I hope that helped! The final part of this post is a list of the most useful gifts I was given when I was going away to college for the first time.

• A hand-made fleece throw blanket from my Aunt Kari. I seriously use it all the time, be it sitting on my floor while I'm crafting, curled up watching movies, or needing a small blanket to carry on the train. It's so handy.
• A shower caddy. See above description of why you need one.
• An electric skillet from some friends of my parents'. It's super handy for grilling chicken, making grilled cheese (not Benny and Joon style) and other cooking ventures where I don't have access to a stove.
• Clothespin fridge magnets which double as chip-clips.

    I'll post some other things if I think of them. Other than that, if you have been or are currently in college, what items did you find helpful and/or necessary? Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

DIY Doctor Who "Pandorica Opens Speech" T-shirt

    Okay, let me start out by saying this is going to be long one. Lots of steps involved. Just stick with it and you'll have a really sweet t-shirt when you're done.

Materials:

• A t-shirt (if it's already the color you want it, you can skip the next two supplies)
• Tulip or RIT fabric dye in your choice of color. I used Tulip's Custom Dye Color Kit to dye mine as close to TARDIS Blue as possible.
• A bucket
• Scissors
• An X-acto knife
• An ultra fine point Sharpie or a Sharpie pen
• Freezer Paper. It has to be specifically freezer paper, not wax paper, not parchment paper, but freezer paper, because it's just plain paper on one side and has waxy/plastic-ey stuff on the other.
• A ruler
• Acrylic paint
• A sponge brush thing or synthetic fiber brushes (the kind that feel soft, not scratchy)
• Something to cover your work space like newspaper or trash bags

Part 1 - Dying the Shirt:

    You can skip to part 2 if you bought a shirt in the color you wanted, if not...

1. Pre-wash your shirt to get any sizing out of it.
2. Hang-dry, don't use any fabric softener or dryer sheets!
3. Follow the package directions on your dye. Mine requires letting the shirt soak for about 45 minutes, so I settled in to watch Doctor Who and cut out the letters of 11's entire speech from the opening of the Pandorica, I'll explain how to do all of that in Part 2. You can use this time to decide what you want on your shirt. It can be any words/simple images you want, obviously I'm using the "Pandorica Opens Speech."



Dying the shirt (also a onesie). That spatula is now dyed blue-ish and permanently "crafts only."

4. When your shirt is done soaking, wash and dry it BY ITSELF.

This shows the shirt and the onesie after dying, washing, and drying. They're not actually that nasty gray color.

They're more like this lovely blue color. Not quite TARDIS blue, but blue nonetheless.

Part 2 - The Mock "Screen-Print"

    Traditional screen printing is expensive, time consuming, and kind of tedious. The following technique is a lot easier, and the materials can all be purchased pretty cheaply at Target/Walmart/Meijer/etc.

1. First you need to know what you'll be stenciling on the shirt. I'm using the 11th Doctor's monologue from the episode "The Pandorica Opens." That's a LOT of text. If you're new to stenciling or using an X-acto, it might be better to start out with something simpler like the Doctor Who logo or "I (insert two hearts) DW"
2. Once you've decided it's time to print it out. I used Microsoft Word to justify my text and adjust font sizes to give this large amount of text a more varied, interesting appearance. If you're using an image you can paste it into Word or Photoshop and adjust it to your desired size. On most home printers you won't be able to go larger than 8.5x11" without tiling it, which is definitely doable. When your text/image looks the way you want it, print it out.
   
   I wish I had a picture of the text before all of the cutting commenced, because I promise you it was a LOT of text in a LOT of different sizes. If you don't believe me, click this rant to see a clip of the monologue on YouTube.
3. Tear off enough freezer paper to cover your design. Tape your design to your work surface, then tape the freezer paper SHINY SIDE DOWN on top of your design, you should be able to see it through the freezer paper.
4. Trace your design on the freezer paper, then remove the design in case you need to use it again. Place your freezer paper on some cardboard or something else you don't mind cutting up with the X-acto. 
5. Using caution and taking your time, cut out your design. If you're using letters, make sure to save the inside bits of the O's and A's and B's and such. Personally, I don't mind the look of having the spaces filled in. (That's my way of saying I didn't want to fuss with the inner bits of an entire paragraph of text.) Cutting my stencil took (in chunks of a few minutes to a couple hours) about 7 or 8 hours total.
   

   

   I didn't even stab myself once cutting this out.

6. When you're (finally!) done cutting out your text/design, it's time to iron! With your iron on a low setting, put the shiny side of the freezer paper down on the fabric and iron it on gently, but making sure to secure the edges firmly to the fabric so that your paint doesn't bleed.
   

   

   My stencil positioned on the shirt. LOTS of text.

   

   Ironing and ironing and ironing.

7. Now you finally get to do the stenciling! All you have to do is use an appropriately sized brush to apply paint inside your stencil. Depending on the color of your shirt and the color of your paint, you may need to allow the first layer to dry and add another.
   

   
   

   The stencil covered in paint. I primarily used the sponge brush to ensure that the paint was evenly applied and not brush-stroke-y.

8. When you're done painting, gently peel up the freezer paper from your shirt.
   

   

   Be very careful to get all of the paper from the little detailed spots.

9. If you want to make extra sure that paint isn't going anywhere, lay a towel over your design and iron over the towel for 30 seconds. 

Mirror shots FTW!

Best picture of all the text.

Happy Whovian!

I made this for an itty bitty Whovian while I was waiting on steps, taking breaks, etc.

Notes in Retrospect:

1. Something I forgot to mention is that you should measure the area of your shirt you want to cover with the stencil and set your Word/Photoshop document to that, plus half-inch margins.
2. NEVER try to stencil something in less than 75 point font if you value your sanity.
3. I think I used too much black when mixing my dye, which would be why my shirt wasn't as vibrant as I had hoped.
4. Lastly, as much as I love this shirt, I do NOT reccommend stenciling an entire monologue onto a t-shirt. It's a whole lot of work and your wrists will be very crampy.

Tada! If you did everything right, you should now have an awesome custom t-shirt! Let me know how your shirt came out. Tweet me a picture @LarraKyleen

My Dad

    You'll forgive the tardiness of this post, I guess I typed it and never actually published it. I meant to post it a few weeks ago, but it's still relevant.

    I recently saw the movie Courageous. If you haven't seen it I strongly recommend it. It's a touching story of a group of men, striving to connect with their children and become better fathers and role models. It certainly rings true in today's society. I know far to many kids my age and younger who didn't have a father who was active or even present in their lives, and it hurt them in more ways than one can number. I know so many girls who have gone looking for love with all the wrong guys, in all the wrong places, because they didn't have a dad to show them how much they are worth.

    It's no secret that my parents had a rough patch when I was growing up, and my dad didn't live with us for about a year, but I'm one of the few and the immeasurably lucky whose dad came back, and even when he was gone, he's never been absent. My parents have always fought for me and my sister, fought to give us a stable, reliable home to grow up in.

    My dad is also military, which means he's gone at least once a month for the weekend, once a year for a two-week training, and as is to be expected in a nation at war, he's been deployed a few times. Even through all of that, I can never remember a time in my life when I wasn't a priority for my dad. He's always said that his top priorities are, in order, God, Family, and Country. 

    I remember the very first time a boy broke up with me. I was 14 years old and my mom was visiting family in Idaho. He dumped me in an email after "dating" for a whopping month and a half. Naturally, I was devastated, but once again, my dad came through for me. He gave me a hug, a pint of Ben and Jerry's, and a new CD, told me he loved me, and let me feel what I was feeling. You see, that's one of the things about my dad that makes him so awesome: I have never in my life doubted that my dad loves me, believes in me, and is proud of me. He's sat through innumerable ballet recitals, choir and show choir concerts, art shows, talent shows, christmas pageants, threatened given a stern talking-to many many young men, and at the end of the day, just always been there for me. He taught me to ride a bike, shoot a gun, change a tire, and kick some butt when needed. When I drove our van into a snowy ditch my senior year of high school, it was my dad that I called in hysterics, and it was my dad that talked me down. He's always been the one guy in my life that I am 100% sure I can always count on, and I'll always be grateful for that.

    I guess, in the end, the biggest proof one can take that my daddy raised me well is that I'm confident and happy with who I am. I don't need a guy to complete me or make me happy, and my number one qualifier in a future husband is that he loves Jesus and thus will love my girls as much and as well as my Daddy loves me.

Countdown to College: DIY Dorm First-Aid Kit

    Hey, folks! A couple people have been bugging me for a post of my two weeks of concert craziness. Don't worry, I'm getting to it. Still gathering photos and working on piecing it together for you. In the mean time, college is almost here, so I thought I would do a post or two on getting ready for school. It could be helpful if you're entering Freshman year and you're afraid you might forget something, or if you're an upperclassman, looking for ways to make this year even better. Anyway, without further ado, 

DIY Dorm First-Aid Kit

    First, you'll want to get a plastic container with a lid or a really sturdy cardboard box big enough to hold everything on the following list. Some of this stuff may seem strange, but pack it anyway because, in the words of my favorite "defective detective," you'll thank me later.

• Band-aids. Okay, this is kind of obvious, but if I didn't put it on the list, someone, somewhere would forget them.
• Neosporin or some other antibiotic ointment. The last thing you need is a gross, infected cut that your pre-med neighbor will have to drain the pus from. Do I sound like I speak from experience?
• Pain relievers. Tylenol, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Excedrin, Midol. Whatever your poison, pack it and at least one alternate in case you build up a tolerance. That's rare, but it happened to me in high school, so I'm always cautious. 
• A hot pack. No, not a hot water bottle. A hot pack is usually full of rice or something and can be microwaved to relieve sore muscles. 
• An instant ice pack. The kind you can squeeze and they get cold immediately. If you have a freezer that you can put a regular ice pack in, even better. 
• A thermometer. Illness spreads like wildfire in dorms, and you may want to check for "flu-like symptoms" more often than you would think.
• Alcohol wipes. Good for cleaning everything from wounds to the aforementioned thermometer.
• Burn gel. Curling irons, George Foreman grills, and microwave burritos have one thing in common: the potential to burn the crap out of your poor little fingers.
• Aloe Vera gel. Sunburns are no fun and should be treated ASAP. Aloe helps to speed the healing and stop the burn because, believe it or not, the burn keeps burning deeper into your skin until you cool it off with cool water/aloe etc. That's why sunburned skin feels hot even hours after you've gone inside.
• NyQuil/DayQuil. Because sometimes you're having breakfast with the Grim Reaper and that test still has to be taken.
• Cough drops. Because no matter how dry your throat, you don't want to be "that guy" during a lecture.
• Benadryl. In case your allergies flare up or someone has a minor allergic reaction. NOT to be used in place of a doctor's visit in the case of an allergic reaction, but it can buy you some time and make you more comfortable.
• TUMS. Cafeteria food takes some getting used to. Enough said.
• Vitamin C tablets or Emergen-C. It's a good idea to take these regularly, but even if you don't, take them religiously if your roommate gets sick.
• Biofreeze/IcyHot. For those times when you need an ice pack, but you have to go to class/work/water polo practice. Kidding. I mean, who plays water polo?
• ACE Bandage/Equestrian wrap. Yes, that is for horses, but it also does an A+ job of dealing with twisted ankles/knees/wrists etc.

    Well, that's pretty much everything I keep in my trust first-aid kit. I hope this was helpful. Have a safe and awesome 2012-2013 school year!

How To: Dorm Room Rice Krispie Treats

    Anyone who has ever lived in a dorm knows that one of the worst things about dorm life is seriously limited cooking options. So, for your eating pleasure, I present to you:

How To Make Rice Krispie Treats with No Tools Except a Large Bowl, a Tablespoon, and a Coffee Pot

    This is actually comically easy. So easy, in fact, I was surprised I didn't think of it before. All it takes are a few easy steps:

1. Melt 2 TBSP of butter in your coffee pot.
2. When the butter is completely liquified, add 2 cups of marshmallows, slowly in about 3 sections. So add one section, wait for them to melt, then add the next. Stir it every couple of minutes, you don't want it to burn to the coffee pot.
3. While the marshmallows are melting, dump about 3 or 4 cups of rice crispies cereal into a large bowl. The amount will differ based on how gooey/crunchy you want them.
4. Once your coffee pot is full of buttery, sugary goop, dump it into the bowl and mix it thoroughly. 
5. Once it's all mixed you can spread it on a plate, separate it into bowls, or put the whole large bowl into your fridge for about 10 minutes until the rice krispie treats are firm.
6. Enjoy! 

Warped Tour Survival Tips: For the Ladies Edition

    Okay, girls, let's be real about this: we have a whole other set of needs and issues than our guy friends when it comes to being out all day in the summer. Warped Tour is no exception. So, in light of that obvious issue, here are some of the best tips I've found online, plus a few of my own. For more Warped Tour tips, check out my earlier post. 

• Don't wear a skirt/dress. I get wanting to look cute, but it's not worth it. For one thing, if you're anything above a size 6, your thighs will chafe and we all know that's no fun. Second, if you get tossed/end up crowd surfing/trip/any of the myriad of things that could happen, about 7,000 of your closest friends will get a good look at your underwear.
• Don't wear a white/pastel t-shirt without a tank under it. Four words: Surprise wet t-shirt contest. Enough said.
• If mother nature visits the day before stay hydrated! (For all the grossed out guys: the title says "Ladies" for a reason.) It's even more important in that situation than it would be normally because your body is shedding more fluid than normal.
• If you're pregnant the best advice if you want to go to Warped (keeping in mind that I've never been pregnant) would be to invest the extra money in a VIP ticket. It includes access to air conditioned tents which I can only imagine would be a huge help. Also, avoid mosh pits and dense crowds like the plague, I feel like the reasons are obvious.
• If you're wearing a swimsuit top that ties at the neck double knot it! There will always be some pervy jerk who will try to see your boobs. It's rude, it's classless, but idiots are a fact of life.
• Take your guy into the pit with you. If you're going in the pit, you should be prepared to get hit, but there are situations where you might need some muscle to back you up if someone passes the line from moshing to just being rude.
• Don't wear excessive jewelry. This means rings, long necklaces, tons of bracelents, a lanyard, etc. You could lose them, necklaces could get yanked off, and it's just more weight to carry on an already insanely hot day. Also keep in mind that many venues don't allow studded belts or spiked bracelets for safety reasons.
• Bring a hair tie/ponytail holder/head band. No matter the length of your hair, it will probably stick to your face or neck, and we all know how badly that sucks. If you want to be really extra awesome, bring a couple spare hair ties for those ladies who may have forgotten.
• DO NOT wear flip flops or sandals. That is, unless you like getting your feet stomped on and having your shoes broken; in that case, go right ahead.
• Bring Handy Wipes or a small travel container of baby wipes. You'll get hot and sweaty, and unless you like smelling like a van full of construction workers, you're going to want something to at least clean up a little.
• Bring a plastic baggie with: bobby pins for your bangs and/or the little wispy hairs at the nape of your neck, a mini deodorant, the aforementioned hair ties, a chap stick.
• Last but NOT least, don't wear tons of make up. All that's going to happen is that you'll sweat it off and look worse than you would have had you just gone natural.

Well, ladies, enjoy and have a great Warped Tour!

Summer Show Survival

    Hey everyone! So, Vans Warped Tour kicks off this Saturday and I can't wait to go again with my friend Be! We had such an incredible time last year and this year one of our favorite bands, The Used, is going to be playing, so it's going to be incredible. While the summer touring season has already kicked off, we're finally getting to the point where summer is in full swing, so I just wanted to take a few minutes to share some tips and suggestions to keep you rocking out all summer long!

• SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN!!! I cannot emphasize this enough! Even if you have darker skin or tan naturally, sun exposure still puts you at risk for skin cancer -and wrinkles, ew!- especially if you have/had more than 3 serious sunburns before your 18th birthday (I have 5 before my 15th, so I'm especially careful). So if you want to still get some color but you don't want cancer, get yourself some SPF 15 and reapply every 2 hours. Spray sunscreens are great if you don't want to spend 15 minutes putting on the lotion kind.
• Okay, this one is kind of a no-brainer, but make sure to hydrate! It gets hot, especially at tours like Warped where you might be outside from 11am until 9 at night. If you eat a good, balanced breakfast food isn't really so important (unless you're diabetic, hyperglycemic, etc. Know your limits and adjust accordingly.) but water is extremely important. I used a CamelBak last year, which is basically a  small backpack which holds a pouch full of water. Warped has these awesome filtered water refilling stations for your bottles/Camelbaks and most venues will also have water fountains you can use. If you notice that you've stopped sweating at a normal rate, or (not to get too graphic) you haven't used to restroom in a couple of hours, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND HYDRATE! Free tip: put ice in your water to keep your core body temperature down.
• Dress for comfort! This is Warped Tour, not fashion week. You're going to get sweaty, you're going to get dirty, and if you wear black skinny jeans and a black t-shirt, you're probably going to be miserable. Dark colors absorb heat faster, so light colored breathable clothing is best. Remember, natural fibers (like cotton) breathe best. And if you're glued to wearing one particular t-shirt, but want something lighter, you could try using this tutorial to turn it into a racer-back tank top, as seen in one of my earlier blog posts.
• Comfortable shoes are key to your feet and legs not hating you the next day! I observed last year tons of people wearing TOMS or Chuck Taylors ( I wore my grey TOMS), but wear shoes that you know you can stand up in for a long time with minimal discomfort. Personally, this year I'll be wearing Vegan Feed 12 TOMS Classics. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT wear flip flops/sandals. They will break, your toes will get stepped on, and it will hurt.
• Pack a snack! Warped Tour allows you to bring a homemade snack into the venue in case you do get hungry. They have food available for sale there, but it's crazy expensive. Bring some homemade granola, trail mix, or whatever your favorite snack is. Try to bring something high in protein to give you energy to keep going throughout the whole day. Free tip: Meat isn't the only thing full of protein! Try a snack with peanut butter or other nuts. Homemade fruit leather is also a good snack, though it doesn't provide the energy boost that protein rich snacks do.
• Bring sunglasses, just not your favorite pair! Protecting your eyes from the sun is important, but your shades may get lost or broken. Should that happen, many booths in the venue have sunglasses for sale for pretty cheap ($5-$15).
• Bring cash for merch and food. Not all venues will have an ATM, so I suggest bringing at least $100 cash, and keep it in the FRONT pocket of your jeans.
• Bring a drawstring backpack to hold your sunscreen, snack, water bottle, all of the cool stuff you will buy, and all of the awesome free stuff people will give you!
• Ziplock baggies are perfect for keeping your cell phone/camera/etc dry in your bag in case you should get soaked for one reason or another.
• If you go in the pit, you will get pushed/shoved/hit so if you're a kid or that's something you can't handle, it's best to hang out in the back.
• Most venues (All venues for Warped) do not allow DSLRs or other professional grade photography equipment. You can bring a disposable or a point-and-shoot to record all of your awesome show memories.
• Charge your phone the night before, and have a place for your friends to meet in case you get lost or left.
• Don't wear tons of makeup! I wore eye shadow last year, not even a lot, and I sweated it into my eyes in the middle of a huge pit, and let me tell you, that stuff BURNS. Free tip: DO bring chap stick. Just do it.
• Do/see as much as you can! Warped and other summer shows are an incredible experience, and there is so much so do, so much to see, so many new people to meet. Throw yourself into the experience. Be safe, have fun, and make memories you'll never forget.

Tattly: Designy Temporary Tattoos Review

    Have you ever wished that temporary tattoos were less, well, stupid? Whether you're putting them on your kids or, like myself, you're 20 years old and still love them, everybody at some point gets sick of crappy stock images stuck on your skin. Well, pushers of crappy temporary tattoos, I see your stock images and raise you my Tattlys.

    Those of you who have been following my blog for any amount of time at all already know that I love Tattlys. They're clever, sweet, witty, occasionally snarky, well designed temporary tattoos for the children and our inner children. There's one for everyone, so when you get done reading this review, go find one that suits you on their website.

    (Also, I apologize for the weird color bars on the pictures, for some reason Blogger's uploader is malfunctioning like crazy, but only on some pictures.)

To begin, packaging:

Tattlys come packaged in a card board envelope that is pretty rigid to protect your Tattlys from getting bent or ruined in the mail

Inside the card board envelope is a paper envelope with blank "To" and "From" lines in case you're awesome enough to be giving Tattlys as a gift. You'll also find your receipt inside the cardboard envelope.

And inside the paper envelope (is anyone but me getting a Russian nesting doll vibe here?), you will find your Tattlys! I got the Rainbows and the Arrows. I just like rainbows, and the arrows were probably a product of my having just re-read The Hunger Games. You will also find....

BONUS TATTLYS! Itty bitty squares of awesome that come as a surprise bonus for buying something that's already super awesome on its own.

I'm pretty sure everyone remembers how to apply a temporary tattoo, but in case you had a sad, joyless childhood, there are application directions on the back of every Tattly you buy! They also have a video on their website for the more visual learners among us.

This is (pretty much) what my Tattly looked like on. I picked one of the medium sized rainbows. The big one is about the width of my wrist, and the little ones are about the width of my thumb. Bear in mind that the appearance of your tattoo is based heavily on where you put it. If, like me, you put it in a more bendy place, it may crack and not last as long.

Free tip! The life of your temporary tattoo can be extended from a couple days to an additional week by putting a thin layer of clear nail polish over the top. I've heard that putting liquid bandage on it also works, but I haven't tried it.

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And this is how it looked once the nail polish dried. It really doesn't effect the appearance of your Tattly much at all, except maybe making it slightly shinier. 

Below is a picture I took of my with the Tattly as well as pictures of a few other Tattlys I've had. Enjoy.

Bonus Post: Faces I've caught myself making.

I do this thing that I'm sure other people do where I zone out completely and when I snap out of it, I realize I've been making some completely absurd face. So, I decided to share them with you cause I'm just that incredible. Enjoy.

Things that make me go :D

Here's a list of awesome stuff that I thoroughly love, curated just for your enjoyment:

• Tattly Tattlys are these cool temporary tattoos. The company was started by a mom who was sick of her kids having to wear mediocre temporary tattoos, and it's grown into something certifiably awesome. My Facebook friends may remember the quotation mark tattoos I had on my chest: those were Tattlys.
• Julia Nunes She's a brilliant, beautiful, talented musician who does bunches of awesome covers and incredible originals mainly on ukulele, though she's been known to also play acoustic guitar, melodica, and a cardboard box. Check out her YouTube channel.
• Melted crayon art is a crafting trend recently and I think it's pretty fantastic. I actually did 2 of them for my 2D design class.
• Pocket Hipster The greatest, most sarcastic, witty, vaguely insulting (Free!) music discover app ever.
• TOMS Shoes are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. And even better, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every single pair sold. They're available on their website or probably at your local Tradehome Shoes.
• Single Dad Laughing Dan Pierce is easily one of the funniest, most refreshingly honest bloggers out there. And for those of you who, like myself, don't have kids, don't worry. This is not just a daddy blog....
• Threadbanger For those of you also obsessed with DIY and crafty stuff, boy do I have a YouTube channel for you. Check out the fun, quippy, and cleverly named Threadbanger on YouTube for tons of cool ideas and tutorials.
• Mental Floss Mental Floss magazine is for the intellectually inclined among us. I was that weird kid who really liked going to school, and so a magazine geared specifically toward telling me awesome things I don't know is pretty much a dream come true.
• 1001 Journals is an art project based on community. You can do your own journal, do one with your friends, launch one and give it to a stranger, or pretty much any other way you can think of to share one.
• TheSixtyOne is an online music discovery sight that really can't be explained except to say that it's awesome and you should check it out.
• Uke Hunt is a ukulele blog with everything from reviews to books to tabs and tutorials. If you can get past the only vaguely inappropriate name, it's a really super blog.

Well, That's what I've got for you today, folks. Hope you enjoyed and found something new to love. Later!

Hair dye tips and tricks

    So, basically I just watched a YouTube video of some idiotic 14 year old dip-dying her hair and it really annoyed me. So, instead of being a moron and leaving tons of spiteful comments, I'm going to bestow my hair coloring knowledge upon all of you. I use semi-permanent rainbow colors mostly. Manic Panic is my go-to, but I also occaisionally use Splat. Enjoy.

• GLOVES. I cannot stress this enough. Your hands will be stained some insane color if you/the person doing your hair doesn't wear gloves.
• If, for some obnoxious reason you decided to ignore my last suggestion, shampoo is the best thing to use when attempting to wash dye off of your hands/face/feet/wherever else you managed to get it.
• I have one towel that I use only for dying my hair. That way the rest of my towels aren't gross. I recommend going to Target and just buying one cheap towel to designate as your "dye-towel."
• If you're dying your whole head of hair, the best way I've found to get really vibrant color consists of 3 steps: 1) Put your dye on once you don't have anywhere else to be for the night, wrap your head in saran wrap. Yes, saran wrap. Then cover everything in a shower cap. 2) Just in case, put a crappy pillowcase on your pillow and/or cover your pillow with your dye-towel. Sleep with the dye in. 3) Rinse the following morning with cool or luke warm water until the water runs mostly clear. 
• The plastic wrap part is essential because it keeps the dye wet the whole time, which allows it to penetrate your hair more effectively. 
• If you don't have and don't want to buy a tint-brush, a cheap toothbrush from the dollar store will work in most cases. 
• If you're bleaching/lightening your hair, I cannot stress enough the importance of conditioning your hair every time you wash it, and going easy on straightening/blow drying your hair to avoid serious damage.
• Buy more product than you think you'll need. It's better to return an unused package than to have to go to the store with half a head of purple hair to buy another.

    Well, that's all I've got for you. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. Also, check out Manic Panic on their website. They have tons of colors of vegan-friendly, vibrant hair color. Enjoy!

And the World Spins 'Round....

    Today some people died, some people were also born. Some people were told they had cancer, some people were told that their surgery went well and they will live many more years. Some people got married today, and someone's daughter went on her first date. Today I watched movies and made grilled cheese sandwiches and bought a melon with my friend. I gave myself another henna tattoo and took a nap. I opened my window to let in the sunshine, and I sewed a pocket on a shirt. I didn't do anything extraordinary today; but yet, in some way my life, my being alive, made a difference to someone. 

    It's genuinely incredible to think about all of the amazing things that go on around us. I remember the summer before I started college, I was working in a pizza place and it was 9 or 10 at night when this man came in, on top of the world. He came up to the counter and told me that his wife had just had a baby, a little girl. He showed me photos and told me how happy he was. Then he got his pizza and he went back to his wife and his brand new daughter, but for a few minutes, I got to be a part of one of the most important days of that man's life, the day he became a dad.

    That memory will always stick with me. Even though plenty of people I know will have babies and get married and live and die. I think it's the fact that I didn't know that man or his wife, but he so gleefully allowed me to be a part of his story, and the very beginning of his daughter's life. Ever since that night, I've thought a little more about the things that go on around me, and to tell you the truth, it's a pretty remarkable world we have.

Graduation 2012

    Another year has come and gone, and that means another class of Seniors leaves the Blackburn community for the life they're meant to lead. Many of these people have meant a lot to me and have helped me with homework, moving, or just by being amazing friends. I am proud to have been able to share in their lives for two awesome years. I have sung with them in choir, studied beside them in class, had fun with them at college events, and dined with them at dinner. The class of 2012 is full of some very special people and I feel very blessed to call them my friends.

    So, Class of 2012, I leave you with the words of Genesis 31:49, "May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent, one from another."

Congratulations and best of luck in every future endeavor.