2012 Box!

Here it is, as promised:

The 2012 Box.


It may not look spectacular. And, true, I didn't do much DIY-ing; I bought a scrapbook box on sale at Michael's for $1.88. But I did affix a 2012 label in my own handwriting inside the label insert area of the box. DIY accomplished!

Really, this DIY is more about the IDEA than anything else. You can use an old shoebox and wrapping paper, a vintage jewelry box-- even a paper bag would work, really-- the idea is to have a place to store fun memories from the year. So far I've stored: movie tickets, my parking receipt for my first 2012 trip to the beach, cards friends and family have given me, pictures, journaling cards, and more. I even have a piece of driftwood from my second trip to the beach.

So for all you fellow lazy/busy DIY-ers, here's an easy one! And it's actually really fun to keep up with and go through every once in a while too :)

Journaling Cards

When I saw journaling cards, I thought, "now what?!" It seemed like a scrapbooker's project, and I am not very good at scrapbooking, seeing as how you have to be a rather organized, follow-through type of person to conquer scrapbooking. This I am not.

But I have been trying to journal more, and sometimes sitting down to a blank page seems like such a daunting task. I don't have the energy to pour my heart out, go back over emotionally difficult situations, or even punctuate.

So I became more and more curious about the journaling cards. I kept finding them on blogs and Pinterest. Finally, when I came up with the idea for a 2012 Box (which is coming up on DIY Wednesday!), I thought I could maybe jot a few sentences down about an event or special day on a journaling card, and put it in the box.

It's really quite a nice way for me to keep up with my journaling when I'm not in the mood or don't have time to completely devote to "the book." Plus, it helps me keep on top of my 2012 Box, which I was afraid I would abandon.

Here are the links for the two journaling cards I've featured here:

http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com/2012/03/victorian-beauty-free-vintage-image.html
http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com/2012/01/printable-library-style-journaling.html#axzz1htshPBlz

And be on the lookout for DIY Wednesday's 2012 Box!

Crackle Painted Nighstand

Oh, how I wish I could have taken a picture of this nightstand before I rehabbed it. It was a lovely shade of 1950s pink-- a light rose-- a worn "blush," really-- but, I digress. The boyfriend hated it. But I am in the middle of FINALLY convincing him that we should get rid of the posters from his college days that have been forever cluttering our walls, and so, for the good of everyone I sacrificed my table in the noble name of redecoration.

I found inspiration on Pinterest (of course), with the instructions linked to a blog here.

My process didn't exactly go like her process-- as usual. I first primed the nightstand with a dark brown color so that would show through the "crackle" (as opposed to my beloved pink). When this was all the way dry, I followed the blogger's instructions, applied the glue (only on the table top), and waited until it was "tacky." Then I painted quick, long brush strokes over the top of the glue. Aaannnd it looked like paint on top of glue. Plus, it wouldn't dry for hours.

So. Resigned not only to a DIY failure, but to complete and utter ruination of my nightstand, I went to bed, defeated. When I woke up in the morning, the table was finally dry. I figured I would just paint enough white over the top so at least you couldn't see the glue. As the paint began to dry, a miracle occurred: CRACKLE!

Not that I don't miss the original, but the new crackled Shabby-Chic-like white does go with the bedroom decor much better. Not only that, but I believe my nightstand sacrifice is responsible for my bathroom decor victory as well...

Easy Eye Makeup Remover

This natural, gentle, effective makeup remover is also a DIY project-- or, as I refer to it, a two-for-one! I've spent countless amounts of money perfecting my beauty routine, and as last week's Beauty Tuesday post revealed, I'm not only about the St. Ives scrub and Benzoyl Peroxide cream at Target (though I might die without them). I know how and when to spend money. And this is when not to.

Here are your ingredients/supplies:

Empty bottle (I got mine for $1.50 at Target in their travel stuff section)

1/3 cup distilled water

1 1/4 tsp no-tears baby shampoo (I used Burt's Bees- $6.99 for 8oz)

1 tsp grapeseed oil

Mix all the ingredients together, and, using a funnel, put them in the bottle. Or, if you don't have a funnel, put all the ingredients in the bottle and shake! You have to shake anyway, each time you use it.

I got the reusable pads here from Etsy.

The original recipe I made this concoction from includes instructions on making your own reusable pads. But I don't have that much time. Or a sewing machine.

Anyway, it's super cheap, and it works really, really well. The oil and soap combo dissolves even my water-proof mascara, and it's so easy to just swipe each eye every night. I will warn you, though, that the pads get dirty and stained VERY quickly, so don't spend too much time or money on them.

Also, I don't recommend using essential oils or fragrances, even though they make it all nice-smelling and everything, because they burn the eyes. And this is the FIRST eye-makeup remover I've ever used that doesn't burn at all. Also, the trip to the store for the grapeseed oil is worth it because it has antioxidant (read: anti-aging) properties, and it's thin and gentle enough for the delicate eye area.

Happy DIY--uh, I mean, Beauty Tuesday, everyone!

Homemade Lip Scrub

So this may seem like a blog more appropriate for Beauty Tuesday, but seeing how this project was totally DIY, I decided it would qualify.

In the winter, my lips are ugly. They chap, they crack, they peel, they bleed-- no bueno. I try to use chapstick every night (and I've tried every kind: medicated, natural, hypoallergenic, vegan, you name it), but nothing helps much. Recently, I saw a lip scrub in a beauty magazine. It seemed like it might do the trick. But when I researched it, the price was too high and the ingredients didn't really look like anything I'd want to be near (or accidentally IN) my mouth.

So, I decided to make one. I know that scrubs are essentially salt or sugar, some kind of base oil, and usually a blend of essential oils or fragrances for scent. Using this basic model, I constructed a yummy, effective, and wholly natural lip scrub made from ingredients I had in my kitchen.

Here's the recipe:

1) 1/2 cup of sugar (salt sounded pretty gross!)
I used 1/4 cup of raw turbinado sugar and 1/4 cup of regular white sugar because I like the two different sizes of crystals.

2) 2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil, melted
I decided to use coconut oil because it's a great moisturizer, and it tastes good! I tried my beloved olive oil on my first run, and it was too thin and did not pass the taste test very well.

Because coconut oil has a high freezing temperature (just around 76 degrees F, or room temperature), it's usually solid. To mix the ingredients, I needed to melt it, so I just stuck the 2 Tbsp in the microwave for 30 seconds.

3) 1/4 tsp of natural vanilla extract

I knew I didn't want to use essential oils because they usually taste bad, so I raided my spice cabinet to see what was up, and found... ta-da!... the perfect fix: vanilla! It gives the scrub a rich smell and yummy flavor. You could use other flavor extracts too, but some of the citrus and mint ones might be a little drying.

I mixed everything up and put it in an old herb/tea tin I had lying around -- you want a nice consistency: not too oily, but moist and spreadable. 

And voila! A simple, cheap, quick recipe to luxuriate your lips!

I slapped a cute label on the tin (I got the template for free here from Etsy) and I use my scrub every night-- and try not to eat it! Just get a little finger-full, rub on your lips for a moment, rinse, pat dry, and follow with your favorite lip moisturizer.

PS- the coconut oil will naturally harden a bit (returning to its usual solid state), so you'll notice a little change in consistency, but as soon as you spread it on your lips it's all the same! Happy DIY-ing!