Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Oh the anticipation!

(Sinatra lounges on my bed when I'm gone.)

With the start of the semester this coming Monday, Phaedra and we can barely contain our excitement and anticipation for what's to come! We can't wait to see our friends, start classes, and we both will be starting new jobs this semester as well. Before we can get to all of that we both have to survive this week. We are frightfully busy this week. By the time we get home the last thing on our mind is updating our blog and we apologize for that. Don't worry this won't become a habit. Curious as to what has kept us away? Well, I started training for my section editor position of my school's newspaper. It's been a lot of fun. I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing. While I'm mastering programs like photoshop and Indesign, Phaedra has been training and preparing for her new position as a peer mentor. We both start our days around 8am and end our days around 8pm.

In the morning we both wakeup, she puts on a pot of tea, while I make coffee and moan and complain over what to wear. Then we return to end up talking for nearly three hours about our days. It's been blissful. More to come very soon!

~Turtle

P.S. expect a lot of exciting changes around here!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

SATURDAY DIME: Party Planning!


(Our friends Reanna, Brittni, and Jacki at Brittni's 21st party.)

It's official! Phaedra and I are officially living at our apartment full time now. Upon settling in and putting those finish decorating touches in certain rooms, we had to stop and plan one of the most important functions of our apartment...PARTIES! Now, we love themed parties, and our friends really do too...or they at least humor us and go along with it. So, we sat down and comprised a list of ten ideas we hope to execute over the course of the school year.
  1. Back to School/Open Apartment: The weekend of every semester is always a lot of fun, so we figured we'd start the year off with an awesome back to school get together. And to show off the new digs to our friends.
  2. Halloween Costume Party: I'll take any excuse to be in a costume!
  3. Black Dress party: Little black dress parties always seem so sexy and classy. 
  4. Murder Mystery: Phaedra is a pro at these and we have a lot of friends who would be way into playing a character all night. 
  5. A mustache party: We want to throw a party that is so hipstery it's ridiculous, just for kicks! 
  6. Moving drinking game party: Nothing can top sitting around watching an old comedy or bad horror film and drinking along to it. It's so much to yell at the screen together, laugh, and just be merry! 
  7. Board game party: Sometimes just staying in popping open wine and playing a board game does the trick.
  8. Drinking game party: Basically you take birthday party ice breaker games and add beer. 
  9. Arts and crafts party: Who doesn't love sitting around making fabric flowers and friendship bracelets?! 
  10. Christmas party: It'll be nice to end the semester with a fun Christmas party!
Can't to start posting as we plan!  


~Turtle 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

THURSDIY: Tea Dying

Tea - Dying!
The school years approaching which means it's time to get my little craft shop off of the ground. For years now I've been crocheting by commission or for birthday gifts, but I've been inspired to create my own shop to sell my crocheted and knitted goods. More to come on that later!  For this DIY I decided to tea-dye tags which I will be using to label the items in my shop, it's super easy, but takes some time!

Supplies
Tags (or paper)
Black tea
Small pot
Water

Step 1:
Take a pot and fill it with water.
Step 2:
First bring pot to a boil and put back on low heat.
Pick any black tea. I'm using Irish Breakfast Tea (Which is my favorite, but I accidentally got the decaffeinated kind, so I've got tea bags to spare!) 

Step 3:
Add the tags (or paper) to the pot. I put a fork over top of the tags so they would stay submerged in the tea and gain more color. Leave in the pot for about 20 mins.
TIP: Check back frequently to see the development. If you don't want your tags to turn out too dark, simply take it out sooner. If you want your tags to be dark, let them sit for longer.

Step 4:
When your tags are the desired cover, set them out to try. It takes a few hours for the tags to get completely dry.

  And you're done! The tag on the left is the finished product while the tag on the right is the original tag. I wanted the tags to only be slightly stained to give each tag an individual vintage look. Since all of my crafts are one of a kind and handmade, I believe I should also take the time to create one of a kind hand made tags. This DIY is super simple!

~ Bunny

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

WENSDOM: Envisioning your life


Have you ever heard of those people who write themselves a check for a million dollars and promise themselves that one day they'll cash it? Or someone who hangs a picture up of a house in their studio apartment with the goal of one day owning it? Well, no matter what the goal or vision, they all achieved it or made the dream a reality.  It's one thing to set goals for yourself, it's another to create a tangible reminder and force yourself to look at it daily. Much to my mother's insistence, I finally sat down and put together a vision board for myself. Unlike the million dollar check or the house dream, my dreams are much more abstract than that. I don't simply wish to one day be a millionaire or own a house, not that I wouldn't mind if such happenings where find their way into my life, but I have lots of goals and hopes and aspirations so a vision board was the best way for me to showcase what I hope for myself.



It was so rewarding putting the finishing touches on that board. It felt like a huge step in the right direction. Something about clearly stating what is you hope to achieve and do with your life that gives yourself a sense a purpose. I think a lot of young people today fall victim to apathy and the unwillingness to sit down and really envision things for their lives. I don't mean things like getting married, I mean career goals or lifetime achievement goals. I'd say think of something that doesn't necessarily involve someone else (relationship wise) to achieve, like wanting to stand on Mt. Kilimanjaro, or shaking hands with a king. For me, one of my major hopes is to always work in a career field that allows me to express myself creatively through writing, fashion, and photography. If you're wadding through your young adulthood like a zombie maybe you should sit down put together a vision board for yourself too.



Making a vision board is really simple. It's narrowing down what your vision is that can be the challenge. I pulled from my inspirations first, like Josephine Baker because she became an adoptive mother of twelve due to childbearing complications and I to want to become an adoptive mother. Or Andy Warhol, because he didn't just prosper in one career field he led many different careers and I also have huge ambitions to do many different things. I then started pulling from huge reaching for the stars goals, like the magazine clipping. It's a clipping from my favorite magazine column which I have dreams of one day writing for. I also pulled from not just career goals but personal life goals. The word "beyoutiful" is something I have to tell myself on my journey of self confidence. The photograph of the map represents my desire to want to travel and see the world and connect with people of different cultures. 



Armed with my vision board and my goals clearly stated I plan to never sell myself short and never to lose sight of them.  

~Turtle




Tuesday, August 14, 2012

TASTE TEST: Egg sandwich


This is a quick and easy breakfast meal that can be made in a variety of ways. It can made on toast, a biscuit, or like I'm going to show you today, a bagel. All you need is a bagel of your choice, I was recently turned on to the thinly sliced bagels. They're a lot more forgiving in the calorie department and a better value than the standard size because so many come in a pack. Meat of your choice, I've chosen pork sausage patties, because patties make placing on a sandwich a lot easier. And then two eggs and shredded cheese.


First, you'll want to cook your meat in the skillet. Once the meat is prepared move it aside and then scramble your eggs. As the eggs start to cook, add a pinch of salt and pepper before sprinkling a handful of shredded cheese. Then scramble them up. I really like to scramble them hard when it comes to making a sandwich, some people like them a little runny. Move the eggs aside once they're cooked, they tend to cook really fast. Pop your thin bagel in the toaster, on a much lower setting than you would a normal bagel. 


Once the toast is ready, spread some butter and then combine everything, eggs on the first followed by the sausage. 


Then, enjoy! 

~Turtle








Monday, August 13, 2012

Slam poetry and me

I remember the first day I ever heard slam performed. A slam poet came into my fifth grade class and performed a poem about her mother's kitchen. She was a tall gorgeous young black woman with a polished afro, wooden bangles that danced when she talked, huge hoop earrings, and this awesome baggy sweater that I still remember years later. She helped my class write poems that we then had to perform. It was so much fun, I wrote about my grandma who had recently passed away. From that day forward slam poetry had a strong place in my heart. Everything about slam poetry entices me. Even it's name slam poetry...like you're slam dunking your thoughts. Or it's other name spoken word. I had never heard poetry to sound and move like music before. Not like that anyway. As I got older I put all notions of poetry on the back burner until recently. I started writing my own poetry again last semester. I'd write them by hand in my journal first and then edit them on my computer until they were perfect! I think some of them are even ready to go to slams! Our school has open mike nights in which anything can be performed...I think I'm going to talk myself into going. Before I really started taking my attempts at writing slam seriously I studied. The thing with slam is that it's powerful when you read it, but it's the performance by the original author that really harnesses the power with every word. You can't just stand there and just read your slam poetry, you have to perform it, preach it, declare it! It's often angry, but I've found enough examples of all emotions and genres. Maybe my love of slam is why I love rap music so much too. They're very similar!

Here are some of my favorite slam poets and their poems:

Sarah Kay, "If I Should Have a Daughter."

One of my favorite poems in general! (Her name has nothing to do with it :p)



Jeanann Verlee, "40 Love Letters."

This poem is just...glorious! 



Nicole Homer, "When your boyfriend asks." 

Such a great message on no selling yourself short.



I could go on and on! Hopefully these will lead you to others like they've done for me, enjoy! 

~Turtle




Sunday, August 12, 2012

SATURDAY DIME: Why We Love Ikea


 
1. The prices aren't ridiculous. You can get a bed frame, mattress, and slats for under $500. Also their cookware and dishes are a VERY good quality and price.

2. The store is super user-friendly. You can just pull bed frames off the shelves and be confident that it's the right product in the right place.

3. The merchandise in the store changes within a season so there's always something new to find. Every time you go back, there's bound to be something new.

4.The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Plus they actually know where items are, which is especially helpful for first-time visitors. (Ikea can be a bit of a maze)

5. Everything is basic and simple so your personal style can shine through. Kind of like the American Apparel of furniture and home goods.

6. Their product's last! (Kay has a table and chair set for kids that she's had and it's still being used by her little cousin in North Carolina!) 

7. It's a DIY playground. You can take everything there and make it yourself and personalize it any way you want.

8. You can drop your kids off! (This is super helpful when my sister wants to go but doesn't want her children touching everything)

9. It's clean. It's not like one of those furniture stores with crushed cheeze-its in the bunk bed section where the last child was hanging out. It's a really well put together place.

10. They serve food. Who doesn't get hungry while shopping? Plus you won't break the bank if you come with a family. (The meatballs and lingonberry juices are the best.)

~ Bunny & Turtle

PETFO: Perry is getting a new home!


It is time! As much I don't want to have to...Perry has to be moved into a glass enclosure since it has a lid. Before the harsh tortoise critics start throwing their tomatoes at me, I do have good reason! My cat has finally realized Perry is in his bin and last night I found him inside the bin eyeing him. That's just too close for comfort, so for Perry's safety I'm putting him in a glass terrarium. I'm not sure what Sinatra's intentions were...he was just checking him out most likely but to keep the peace and give me some peace of mind Perry is getting a new home. I'll post an update post all about how to safely move your tortoise to a new home and how to make them as comfortable as possible in the new setting.  

~Turtle

FANCY FRIDAY: Sunday Best




I love this sundress I found in my mom's closet! She'd had it forever apparently. It's a little loose on me so I decided to belt it, but I just adore the chiffon and the floral print. I really fell in love with it because it has that loose shapeless cut that was popular in the late 90's! I paired it with these brown oxford heels I got earlier this week, I need to break them in! (Thanks mom for the photography!)

~Turtle



Thursday, August 9, 2012

THURSDIY: Pillow Bow

THURSDIY: Pillow Bows/ Pillow Accents
This is a fun, easy and relatively fast way to bring some color to basic pillows, and to bring color to any room.

Supplies
1. Scissors
2. Fleece (or any fabric of your choice)
3. Safety Pins (two per bow)

Step 1
Cut the fabric into two large rectangles and two skinnier rectangles. The exact size does not matter, as long as they look relatively the same. See picture below for example.
Step 2
Take one of the larger rectangles and fold the longer edge inwards. This helps to hide the cut and uneven edges of your bow. When using fleece, just press down on the sides of the fabric and it should stay down.

Step 3
This time, take the two shorter edges and fold them inwards so they will fold on top of the longer side edges. 
Step 4
Now just squeeze the middle of the fabric so that it starts to get its bow shape. If any of the creases come undone, just refold them.
Step 5
Take each corner of the bow and fold them towards the middle of the bow that you created. Again, press down on the fabric to that it maintains its shape and that the edges stay in place.
Step 6
Now just take the thinner piece of fabric and place it under the bow shape that you have created.
Step Seven
My favorite part! Take the thinner piece of fabric and tie it around the bow shape so that all corners are tucked inside the knot. Remember to pull tightly so that the fabric is secure, but if it comes undone it's very easy to just stick the corners inside of the knot.

Step 8
Using the safety pins, place them wherever you want on the side of the bow that will not be seen. From my experience, it helps to have both safety pins on the outside of the knot on each side. This helps to keep the bow secure wherever you decide to place it.
All done!
Place the bow wherever you would like. I decided to put it on my pillows because they were just so...plain to me. Plus, I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on getting new pillow shams or pillows when I had fabric available. I'd love to see where you place your bows!
~ Bunny

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

WENSDOM: Home sick?


With summer coming to a close I know some our readers will be headed to college for the first time! It's going to be an exciting time. Amongst all the excitement is going to be a mixture of overwhelming feelings in every variety. I think one of the biggest feelings freshmen fall victim to is homesickness. I know I did in the worst way. I did the dreaded thing you should never do...I went home for a weekend within the first full month. Looking back on my last two years of college I really wouldn't advise doing that. Stick it out for a full month. College moves pretty fast you'll find, you don't want to get left behind and not being around for it is a huge way to find yourself wading around and lonely. It's when we're lonely feeling that feelings of things like homesickness can prey on us. 

To keep the edge off homesickness I would advise calling home weekly to one or two people, texting your friends from high school regularly. Make Skype dates with people. Even go as far to send family and friends letters and cards and have them send you mail in return. The best thing you can do in that first month is to meet people! Establishing friends will not only impact your feelings of loneliness but can also impact your success. If you find a group of people on your campus you care about, you'll start to care about your school, and you'll start to care about staying at your school and doing what you need to do to stay with them. When meeting people don't get discouraged if you find a lot of misses at first, keep an open mind, and don't put all your eggs in one basket.  

Don't worry though, everyone gets homesick, no matter how well they seem to handle it. Everyone from the most intimidating senior to the shy girl in the back of your class. Everyone powers through it. Good luck and have fun!

~Turtle 

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

TASTE TEST: Blood orange sweet tea!


Maybe I'm still on a high from True Blood's latest episode or something, but tonight my dad and I experimented with our usual tea recipe and added some flavor to the mix! We blended sun tea with fruit juice and stumbled upon and awesome way to sweeten tea give it a great flavor. All you need is your favorite flavor of sun tea (we like to use good old Twinings either a breakfast tea or an afternoon tea) and blood orange juice


Fill the glass about two thirds of the way with tea and then fill the rest with blood orange juice (red orange works too). I may take this experiment in taste one step further and add some rum or vodka to this and really spice things up! Anyways, all that's left to do is  squeeze some lemon in and stir it all up and then enjoy!

~Turtle


Monday, August 6, 2012

K-Drama & Me



Over the past few months, I have gained a recent obsession over K-Dramas, or Korean-Dramas. I'm a huge anime fan, and I've poked around the Japanese drama circuit, but it was all too cheesy for me. I didn't even know K-Dramas were a thing until my Korean friend, Ji showed it to me. It blew my mind.

The first K-Drama I saw was called 49 Days, it was probably one of the most amazing television shows I've ever seen and I think it's because the show masters the craft of keeping my attention. The plot lines are so different, and there is always this cool supernatural twist. Other Dramas I've seen include S-Scandal, City Hunter and I'm currently watching Queen Seon Duk which is blowing my mind.

Watching the dramas really inspires me for when I create crocheted plushies, or when I make anything. The use of vibrant colors and child-like storytelling in a dark setting has been something that's always interested me.
 You really should check it out if you have never tried it. It's a great way to pass the time and an important method of cross cultural communication. Plus, the characters are so easy to get attached to and each series is only 20 episodes long.

I like being able to transport myself to another world that I'm not familiar with. The worlds inside of K-dramas are something that I'm not used to at all, and that makes each episode and refreshing because it's entertainment from a completely different world.


~ Bunny

Saturday, August 4, 2012

SATURDAY DIME: Apartment TLC


I can't believe it's August already. I also can't believe school starts back up for us in just three weeks. Upon school starting back up Phaedra and I plan to host a nice back to school party for our friends to kick off the year and show off our new digs. It then dawned on us some of those projects we keep saying we're going to do...it's time to do them! So here is a list of all of our short term apartment goals!


1.) Spice up our entry way hall. We have this great big foyer hallway, and we keep meaning to put some sort of table or shelf in the far corner to create a more welcoming feeling. We'd also like to add a runner of some sort on the floor too. To both protect the floor and give it a nice look.


2.) We have a lovely patio big enough to entertain on! Yet it's not very inviting...yet! We're going to add string lights to the balcony and a tapestry of some sort to the corner.   


3.) We both love flowers and plants and love the bohemian look they can give a space. Plus if we grow the right things we'll be able to feed the harvest to the bunnies and my tortoise! We figure we're going to try and line the patio with plants that will be easy for us to maintain.


4.) In our living room we have a great windowsill, but right now it's pretty blah! So we plan to add something that's decorative and possibly functional like a watering can with flowers in it.


5.) We have so much wall space and since painting is out since this is a lease, we've been brainstorming ideas to still have our personal style come through. We're thinking of adding shelves for Sinatra's cat tower and a custom canvas art to this wall. Stay tuned for DIY about this!


6.) This wall is huge and it's a focal point wall! So we're going to add decorative shelves and place knick knacks on them. 


7.) Kitchen's don't need much because you don't want to fill a highly functional space with impractical decorative things especially if the space is small. But we figured we'd put some sort of picture here just to liven the space up a bit. 


8.) This wall is pretty big and pretty plain. We're not exactly sure what we want to go here...but we'll know when we see it! We're thinking something iron or brass since our kitchen's theme is steampunk!

9.) Phaedra also found a stack of old 45's that we've yet to do anything with. We're thinking we'd hang them up on the wall that's right of the TV in some sort of formation.

10.) We still need to add things to our room to tie in our looks so stayed tuned for updates! 

~Turtle & Bunny









Friday, August 3, 2012

FANCY FRIDAY: Usher uniforms remix!


Phaedra and I both work as ushers for our school's theater. Probably one of the greatest part time jobs I've ever had. I mean it's simple, we get to see awesome events for free, and the hours are ridiculously flexible. We ended up working a lot last year and so washing the usual usher uniform would be hard to do in the dorm if we had to work back to back so we had to get creative with what we wore. Here are three looks we like to do to mix it up! 


Look one is very simple. A nice pair of black slacks, an off white canvas belt, and a simple white sweater. Pretty basic and pretty standard. 


Adding a colored hairpiece like a floral bow or headband and swapping the black flats out with a pair of grey oxfords is the perfect way to chic up the look and add your personal style.


Look two is great if your boss is like yours is like ours and they allow for some serious deviation from the more traditional conservative look. Here we've paired an awesome patterned black and white mini skirt with a cream colored top. A great bow in the hair again brings in that personal style. 


Our final look is for the more professional usher or a really fancy event like the musical festival that was just in town. Adding a blazer to most outfits tends to give the outfit a very nice professional look that isn't over the top. Sticking a flower in your hair again adds that personal touch. So whether you're a theater usher like us or need a strict uniform there are still plenty of ways your personal style can come through.  

~Turtle & Bunny