Finally Friday #11: The 20-Something 5 Year Old

If you turn on the news lately all you see are awful stories like Sandy Hook, shootings or how we are slowly killing our environment. Believing that we can in fact change the world, we get sucked into these causes trying to find a way to help and do our part, either to fix whats broken or find a new way. For the 20 somethings out there, like me, that is a big burden to carry on the same shoulders that are also trying to navigate finding a career that fits, relationships, family, finding out who we are and moving away from home to start a new beginnings.

It's not surprising when I begin to sit down and talk to others my own age we find that we are all feeling burnt out. We are in our mid-twenties and feeling completely exhausted and we haven't even had kids yet! We feel pressure from every angle; our society telling us to wait and enjoy our youth and make bad decisions, our parents telling us to make smart decisions to find a steady job that we can keep for 20 years like they did, or Facebook telling us how great everyone is doing with there new babies, great careers and happy marriages. 

Are you feeling the pressure yet? Everyone is trying to tell you what to do and what the right thing to do is and all I want to do is be five years old again. The time when you could wear all your favorite pieces of clothing even though they didn't match, color for hours, eat cereal for a snack or make up silly games like the floor was lava and you had to make it from the living room to the kitchen for a secret mission. Well, why can't we do those things anymore? Who said growing up had to be monochromatic and lame? 

In the midst of trying to figure out my next move, I am taking a break from the panic and the stress to just be me. In fact, I am sitting here in my favorite black summer hat, wearing a green hoodie from my Alma Mater, VS black and pink yoga pants and fuzzy pink socks that come up to my calf. No none of it goes together or has any real purpose other than warmth, but who cares. Embracing the five year old mindset of "I am happy and I don't care" can really help reset and recharge. My 2 bowls of Lucky Charms and a bit of coloring in my favorite Disney coloring book this morning has made me even more productive than I have been all week. 

So I challenge you, every once in a while, take some time to just be your five year old self.  Life is too short to stress yourself into oblivion. So turn off the adult mode and call a  friend to have a sleep over, grab some crayons and just doodle on some scrap paper. Just do it for you.The best part is you aren't harming anyone, its not bad for your health like drinking or smoking, and it might just re-light the fire that makes you, well, you! 

Looking for some fun kid ideas here is a list of some favorites (thanks to a little help from a friend): 

1. Color - In between the line or out of the lines, just do what you like to do. 

2. Dance - Like nobody is watching to the corniest, lamest song you can find.

3. Eat Fun Cereal - For dinner, lunch, a late night snack. They are super yummy and not that unhealthy.

4. Sing Along - To every song on the radio. 

5. Wear Whatever - Yeah that's right wear those MC Hammer pants with that fun top from Forever 21! (Just not on that date coming up! Haha)

6. Call Mom or Dad Just to Talk - Remember how much you wanted to tell your parents all about your day when you were 5? Why not do it again, and they will love it too. 

7. Slumber Party - No boys allowed slumber parties were a blast, now you are old enough to add in wine. So call up your girlies and schedule some gossip time.

8. Make Up Silly Games - Buy some Nerf guns and declare war on anyone in your apartment.

9. Play Outside - Go get some sun and get dirty or just walk in the woods.

10. Bake Cookies - And just eat the dough.

11. Buy Some Play Dough - Or make some, or find some river clay. Build up anthing you want and destroy it all the same.

12. Pet a Pooch - It is a scientific fact that petting animals reduces stress. So rescue a puppy or volunteer at an animal hospital.

Happy Being 5!!!

Special Edition: Under construction on Etsy

It has been a long time coming but I am finally up and running on Etsy. I have been telling family and friends that I was going to do this for about two years but it has finally happened. The name of my shop is HummingbirdLoves!

This is an exciting moment for me because now I can share all the fun and creative projects that I dream up with everyone and anyone who might want one. Now I will ask for your patience over the next week or two while I begin to add items for sale to my shop. Currently there is only one item listed which is the infinity scarf that I posted about last week.

Infinity Scarf $25

I hope you all enjoy the fun items posted moving forward and please share with family and friends. Also remember if you see an item posted and would like it in a different variation don't hesitate to contact me for a custom order.

Happy Shopping!

Creative Crafty #14: Ceramic Mugs decorated with Sharpies

A go-to Christmas gift project of mine is to etch wine glasses which is a idea I got form watching The Martha Stewart Show a few years ago. This project has worked out for me quite well due to the fact I have a Cricut  cutting machine that allows me to customize each etching depending on the recipient of the gift.

While wandering about Pinterest I found a great tutorial on Mad in Crafts that allows me to customize plates and mugs as well as glass-wares. All that is needed is a sharpie in any color and an oven. I found mugs at Dollar Tree for $1 each and spent some time coming up with a fun design to draw on them. Once you finish the design you simple back in the oven to set the ink.

Finished Product

This was a great beginners craft or a great craft to do with the kids as long as there is supervision. 

Happy Crafting!

Lost Adventure #11: Getting back on the Horse....power!

It has been a long two years since I was last on a snowmobile thanks to last years awful weather with no snow. Snowmobiling has been my love since I was 6 months old and that has never changed. My love has even brought me to my now amazing boyfriend.

This year he purchased a brand new Switchback Assault and decided against selling his old Polaris XC 500 so that we would be able to ride together. Luckily while I was there between Christmas and New Years there was plenty of snow and we managed to rack up 220 miles across two days.

Snow Covered Wisconsin Trails!

We both love to just ride and during a day out we don't stop that often. The only reason to stop are for mealtime and gas. This made it really easy to put on the miles. Although it wasn't without some draw backs on the first day. My body was a little sore due to the suspension on my sled not being set to my weight and rough trails in spots. Regardless it was still an amazing day of riding.

Day two was perfect though. With my suspension adjusted I settled back into my comfort zone and "got my knack back". The trails were also groomed which made riding that day fantastic! Winter is by far my favorite season and snowmobiling is partly to blame for that. It is simply a great sport and exposure to the fresh air really tires you out. Plus, for the adrenaline junkie in my there is nothing like pinning the throttle to the handlebar and seeing what the sled can do. :)

Happy Braaaapppp!!!!

Finally Friday #10: The Clearance Bride

It has been awhile since I posted anything wedding related. This does not mean that I haven't been looking. I have always loved and still love weddings. Ever since I was a small child I would plan my wedding to my teddy bear, friend or imaginary prince. As time has passed the more realistic side of wedding planning has surfaced for me. Understanding costs, logistics and every other little detail has changed my ideal wedding from the winter Cinderella Princess ceremony with a horse drawn carriage to one a little more rustic and a lot less designer.

Everyone knows the cost of a wedding varies with the average being around $25K. For any young couple that is a large chunk of cash if you are paying for it yourself.  Yet, within the same breathe, we all want the wedding we have dreamed of since we were little girls. Trying to have a gorgeous stylish wedding while remaining within the chosen budget is a difficult task. I have done some homework and found a few articles that help outline ways to save some cash on the big day.

1. An excellent resource for a variety of wedding advice is TheKnot.com. Not only are they an excellent resource for looking up inspiration but I also found this great article 30 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding.

2. The second article I found is from Martha Stewart Weddings, one of my personal favorites. 55 Ways To Trim Your Wedding Budget outlines some excellent tips from limiting what is served at the open bar to DIY Save the Dates.

3. DIY (do-it-yourself) is obviously a good way to help cut costs. I found a few easy DIY projects listed in a blog post from Chasing Louboutin. In the post she outlines the cost of each DIY project compared to having it done by a professional. DIY is becoming more common place as the tools available at crafts stores allow for high quality products to be made at home. Also DIY is a great way to put your mark on your special day.

BONUS 2:

4. Another favorite wedding blog of mine is Style Me Pretty. This site list a number of DIY projects for every tiny aspect of a wedding. One of my sxdfavorite projects is the DIY wedding jewelry section because it also is a great inspiration for everyday bling too!

5. Lastly, no matter the size of the budget or what is going to be homemade, everything cost money. It is vital to pick a budget and stick to it. Saving money ahead of time can also be a great investment to prevent starting a marriage together in debt. Saving money is never easy in this economy but a blog called The Offbeat Bride offer up a fun way of saving money dollar by song.

These are just a few articles and ideas I have found recently. I am always looking for creative ways to pinch pennies while preserving style. I also pin a number of ideas as well

Creative Crafty #13: Crochet Infinity Scarf

An old family friend once taught me to crotchet and luckily to this day I haven't forgotten. Although, I wouldn't exactly say I know every stitch. Honestly I don't know any true stitch by name, instead i make them up as I go using no pattern or guide other than my own imagination and creativity. In the past I have kept it simple making only hats because I could quickly crank through them especially when using bulky yarn.

This Christmas as I was scrolling through Pinterest I notice that folks were making infinity scarfs. For those who don't know that is the scarf with no end, rather a big loop. I like the idea of these scarfs and decided to take a stab at one and give it to my boyfriends mother for Christmas. It turned out great!  I was plenty thick, warm and cozy for those Wisconsin winters and winds. 

My boyfriends mother said she loved it. She was wearing it around when a friend of hers commented and asked to have one made for her! I, of course, obliged and sold her an infinity scarf made of similar bulky yarn. Now she asked if I made mittens! Looks like I will be making another trip to the crafts store! HAHA! 

Until that trip I have decide to whip up a few more infinity scarfs with the yarn I purchased on my last craft store trip. The colors are purple, teal, green and ivory. I am hoping to have them finished and up on Etsy by next week for anyone who may want to purchase one.

New Purple Infinity Scarf

Happy Crafting!  Enjoy!!! 

Lost Adventure #10: Teaching Shane to Snowboard

Winter is my absolute favorite season which is part of what makes Christmas my favorite holiday. I love the winter because there is so much to do. Snowmobiling, cross-county skiing, snowboarding, tubing or skating all allow you to be active but without sweating profusely. My favorite winter activity is snowmobiling which is how I ended up meeting my boyfriend. Seeing we already both enjoy the hobby I decided to expose him to my second favorite winter hobby, snowboarding.

We decided to go with my friend, Michelle, while we were home with my family during Christmas. She is an experienced skier, I have about 2 years of snowboarding and he had no experience. I tried to convince him to take lessons but instead he wanted me to teach him. I suppose I didn't do to bad. He was connecting turns by the end of the day. Of course he encountered all the same struggles all rookie snowboarders have like spending most of the first day on your butt and not being able to turn left, and of course the forever feared...chairlift. 

Overall he did really well and I got to spend absolutely amazing day with two of my favorite people. :) She was patient and kind while we waited for him to come down the mountain. Yet another reason I love her. 

Let it Snow!!!

Tasty Bakes #6: Ladies Only Lasagna

A few friends of mine have been trying to plan a reason for us to get dressed up and go out. The only issue is that we all don't have that much money. Our solution? We brought fancy to us...kinda

We decided that the three of us would meet at my place because I have two spare beds. I would cook a lasagna and the other two would bring the desert and drinks! This was probably the best plan we have ever had because there was no worrying about how to get home or tipping a bartender etc. Only catch was we each had to dress up. I know it was a really crutch to bear.

Valerie and I

Kathryn and I

On schedule they both came over, one earlier to help me prepare the lasagna and the other later with some wine once she had finished her graduate school work. I followed my mom's lasagna making advice and it was a hearty meal. Our dessert made by Kathryn was a yummy Oreo cheesecake and an excellent follow up to the lasagna.

Yummy Lasagna

My how to: 

Cook noodles as usual. Cooked hamburger in a pan with various seasons and a small amount of pepperoni chopped up. In a separate bowl, I added in parsley and various cheeses to a small container of ricotta cheese. We also mixed up a couple different tomato sauces and added in spices as well.  Then we layered it together and baked. I am fond of using sharp cheeses because it makes each bite more flavorful. 

Our Christmas Dinner Party

Once everything was finished cooking we all sat down at a lovely candle lite dinner accompanied by Frank Sinatra on my vinyl record player. It turned out to be an amazing evening!

Happy Eating!!!

Tasty Bakes #7: Christmas Cookies and Chocolate

Every year, while I was growing up. my mom and I would make Molasses cookies while my dad was out hunting. These past few years I did not get the opportunity to this, nor did I even get to eat any molasses cookies. This year I decided I would attempt them on my own.

Some of my Molasses and Chocolate Chip Cookies as well as Homemade Reese

I Googled for a few recipes and finally decided on one I found on the Betty Crocker website. I followed the recipe for the most part. Instead of 1 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, I did 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of light brown sugar. I also mix in the spices and salt to the flour before adding it to the rest of the mixture. I also use the metal rim from canning jars to cut out the cookies. Other than that I pretty much follow the recipe. They turned out super tasty!

Seeing I was going home for Christmas I decided I would make chocolate chip cookies and homemade Reese cups as well. The chocolate chip cookies were pretty standard issue. I followed the Nestle Tollhouse recipe that comes on the bag. The homemade peanut butter cups I followed this instruction I found through Pinterest. Instead of layering the chocolate I made sure that the chocolate fully encapsulated the peanut butter mixture inside.  These also turned out great!

Everything was delicious and it felt good to be able to bring home so much tasty baked good. It was also rewarding to know that I made it all without using a mixer!

Happy Baking!

Creative Crafty #11: Foam Core and Recycled Fabric Deer

One of the first projects I found on Pinterest was this adorable fabric and foam core board deer. In the instructions on the actual website it recommended purchasing a book in which the pattern for the deer existed. I was too cheap, stubborn and lazy so instead I just winged it.

I pulled some old craft paper out of storage and made my own pattern. I have been trying to clean out some of my craft items I have collected over the years and found this the perfect use for some left over scraps. It did involve much tweaking but after the fabric was cut it was smooth sailing. It currently resides at my friends house in which she used it for a holiday party. :)

Light-weight Deer Mount

I plan to re-trace the cut-out to have a pattern to work form next year. I am not super crazy about how it turned out this time because I am a perfectionist. I learned some lessons about which type of fabric to use as well as how to apply spray adhesive. I still found it a cute decoration to add to my slew of Christmas items!

Creative Crafty #12: Cork Board Earring Display

This project came to me as I was wondering through the Dollar Tree in search of some cheap holiday decorations. In the isle with photo frames, I couldn't help but notice this untreated 8.5"x11" frame. It seemed to hold so much potential.

Frame in Pieces 

I have been flinging around ideas of how  to store my jewelry so that I actually wear the 100+ pairs of earrings I own. My earrings were living in a big tub where I never saw them and so I would only rotate between the few pairs that I kept out. Being the visual person I am I had been looking for a fun and decorative way to display them. So when I stumbled upon the unfinished frame it hit me. All I had to do was paint it add some cork board. BOOM! I had fun way to tack up all my colorful earrings where I would see them every day.

Once I painted the frame with a lavender color

There is a step here that I did not photograph. I measured the inside of the frame and cut a piece of cork board so that it would sit snugly inside. After the piece was cut I used spray adhesive to attach the cardboard backing that came with the frame. Once the two pieces were adhered I inserted it inside the frame and used hot glue to keep them together. I also bent the metal tabs back into place to make sure the back wouldn't fall out.

During the process of drawing on the Zebra Print

I love prints and I am especially fond of Zebra as most of my friends know. So I decided to draw on a zebra print down two sides of the frame once I already assembled the pieces together. Once I finished decorating the frame I scrounged up clear tacks to hang all the earrings off of.

Finished with some of my earrings

I made two of these and gave one to my friend for a Christmas present. I have found mine really useful. I actually have been much better about mixing up my earring selections each day. Hope you love it!

Happy Crafting!

Creative Crafty #10: Presents, Pinterest, and Parties

The Christmas season is over and I am feeling completely exhausted. Living in Massachusetts and having friends and family in Northern New York, New Hampshire, and WI meant my boyfriend and I spent a copious amount of time traveling this holiday season. Out of shear curiosity I decided to GoogleMaps how much we traveled. The conclusion, in just under 2 weeks we did 220 miles by snowmobile, 800+ miles by car (in a snow storm as well), and 2000+ miles by plane. Getting to spend quality time with both of our families made all the travel worth it.

It would be a safe bet to assume that this past weekend that I vegged out, but of course not. Saturday was a craft supply shopping extravaganza with a close friends and fellow crafter. I even finished an infinity scarf that night. Sunday, not to be out-shined by Saturday, was a fun lunch at PF Chang's in Providence Place with my cousin who lives in CT. She apparently is a bad influence because we ended up shopping for another solid 3 hours.( I shall note that almost every store was 40% off clearance so it was a steal.) I did find a super cute skirt suit for only 50$ at The Limited. From now on I think I will only buy clothes this time of year when all the stores are trying to clear out old merchandise. (Ok, so that's not entirely true but I will try! HA!) 

Anyways, to get back on topic, let me catch you up on my last month of crazy fun holiday projects and baked goods. Avoiding the Black Friday madness (which last year I stupidly participated in) I wandered straight into an unhealthy addiction to pinterest in search of yummy goodies and present ideas for my family this year. As a result I have been quite busy but slacking on my blogging efforts. I have listed below the links (as I get those posts done) to the projects and adventures that occurred over the last month and have made them all separate entries for a matter of organization.

1. Foam Core and Recycled Fabric Deer
2. Corkboard Earring Display
3. Ladies Only Lasagna
4. Christmas Cookies and Chocolates
5. Crotched Infinity Scarf
6. Ceramic Mugs decorated with Sharpies
7. Teaching Shane to Snowboard
8. Getting back on the Horse....Power!

All in all, I had an amazing first Christmas with my boyfriend! In all its craziness it was really nice to have him there with me through all of it. He was the first one I ever shared Christmas at my house with and definitely handled his own in my rambunctious family. (I should mention every holiday there is a Nerf gun war, which is a down grade from what used to be shooting real guns at trees and small animals in the back yard.) He stood strong under fire while I was scavenging for "bullets" to feed his assault. We had a great deal of fun and it was a really good experiment that really reminded me again how great we get along and how much I love my family . :)

Hoping you all had fantastic holidays as well! 

Happy New Year!