DIY Marble Coasters

Fact: I have to start my day with coffee. Otherwise, I nod off at my desk.

Hello, my name is Tori, and I'm addicted to coffee. Iced coffee. It's a very rare occasion that I actually drink hot coffee. Like, it has to be the middle of winter in Ohio, and a cup of Cafe Verona. 

My cubicle has these cute little water rings all over my desk from my iced drinks. So, I thought it was about time I found some coasters for my cube. But not just any coasters, of course. They have to be cute and colorful, and preferably shiny. I've got this current obsession with gold leafing and just whatever you can find me that is shiny and gold.

Enter DIY.

What you need:

Sculpey clay of various colors

Exacto knife

Large jar (or something with a large circle opening)

Baking sheet

Oven (;
Liquid gold leafing
Paint brush
Clear coat of enamel or clear spray paint (optional)

How to:

Break off a few nice chunks of colors that you like. The already rolled one is the scraps of a previously made coaster.

Roll all pieces out.

Wrap the colors together.

Roll the wrapped up colors until it's a smooth cylinder.

Put the ends together, and twist them together again.

Roll that out until smooth again.

Form into a ball.

Roll that thang out, and look at your pretty colors! Decide what side you like better, and place your large circular object in that spot. Now, take your exacto knife, and cut around the edges. I saved the scraps, and rolled them into their own cylinder to use in my next coaster!

Pop your pretty creations into the oven at 275 for about 30 minutes. Once they're completely cooled off, paint the edges of the coasters as you like. I'm personally not a fan of perfection, so the gold is in various thicknesses around the coaster.

At this step, you can certainly add a clear coat of enamel or clear spray paint if you want them glossy. I'm going to do that, but it was torrential downpour on my way home from work, and I didn't feel like running out there. (;

So, here's the finished product! They look great, and I love them. They would make great gifts, too! Plus, if you have kids, kill two birds with one stone. This would be entertaining for them while they help make pretty things!
If you guys make these, I seriously want to see them! Leave pictures or just comment on how it went! (:

Hack Your 2.0

Keurig 2.0 Hack

Hello, you lovely humans. So, for Christmas, I received the Keurig 2.0. I was just ecstatic. I ran out to the store for those tasty little Gevalia K-cups with the froth packs, only to pop it into my Keurig and get this message:

 

Excuse me!? The whole reason I, personally, got a Keurig was because of the hundreds of options I had. I was unaware that the 2.0 didn't have nearly as many options. I also came to find out that you get the same message when you want to use the refillable K-cup for your own coffees.  That was pure madness to me. I have so many coffees that I love that you can't find in K-cups. For example, local roasters. I also noticed that some of the bloggers I watch won a 2.0 (you lucky, lucky humans). So, I did a bit of research to find out how I could use these refillable cups. 

Turns out, Keurig was basically trying to cut down on the amount of external cups you could use. If you don't get that, I'll put it plainly. They wanted you to only use K-cups by Keurig and be greedy with all the profits. I get it, really I do. But that's not convenient for me. (: So I found a hack, and I thought I would share it with you! Because we all need delicious coffee.

What You'll Need:

1 Solofill Cup K3*

1 2.0 approved K-cup

Utility knife

Hot glue gun

*I found mine at Target for $11.99. According to all the things I read, this one fits and works the best!

How To:

Using your utility knife, carefully cut the foil top of the K-cup off. Don't waste that coffee!! Dump it into your reusable K-cup, or a bowl to put in your K-cup momentarily. Make sure there are no jagged, bumpy edges on your foil top. You want it as smooth as possible. Now, take your hot glue gun and dab glue around the rim of your reusable K-cup. Carefully place the foil top on top of your reusable K-cup. Place your newly hacked reusable cup in your Keurig. Now enjoy whatever coffee you feel like, whether Keurig wants you to or not! (:

I hope there's someone out there that was sorely disappointed finding that 'Opps!' message that this helps!! I'm now enjoying my Casi Cielo in the morning!

Make It Monday

Christmas Wreath

What?! Oh, yes, yes, I'm still alive. Alive and kickin'! However, it was time to spend my time with friends and family, and that's exactly what I did. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know I sure did. Boyfriend's birthday was Black Friday, and, of course, he drug me out into the hoards of people. But we were so accomplished! We finished over half of our Christmas list and got good deals! I guess, in the end, it was doable. I still don't like going out on Black Friday (please remember your manners and humanity!), but at least it was successful. I also got presents all wrapped up! Do you remember my DIY inspiration post? I absolutely love how they're wrapped. The brown paper wrap is actually packing paper from Target. $6 for 800 ft! Steal!!! The twine is from Michael's, and, surprisingly, the paper doilies are from Walmart. They have a few different sizes, and I needed multiple, but they're only $2 for a 10 pack! (:

So, it's make it Monday, and you may have gathered that I like wreaths by now. I had this whole idea planned out with "Do you wanna build a snowman?" lettered out on it, but that's a ton of work. and how on earth do you securely attach that? You don't. That's all. So instead, while bored at work all day, I sketched this little guy up and sent it off to boyfriend. He liked it, so done deal. It was cute and much easier!

What you'll need:

Grapevine wreath (size o' choice)

Christmas bow of choice (just make sure it fits nicely on the wreath)

Spool of litter ribbon

2 sheets of white felt

1 sheet black felt

1 sheet red felt

2 pearl beads sprays

2 frosted cranberry sprays

Hot glue gun and glue

*FYI, I bought everything at Jo-Ann's, in case you don't know where to find something.*

How to:

You can start where ever your little heart desires. I started by making my little snowman. Mainly because I didn't have the other parts of the wreath yet. For his body, I made 3 different size white felt flowers, like the ones in this tutorial. FIY your circles don't have to be perfect. I hotglued his little body pieces together and set him aside. Then, I just cut out 2 rectangles of red felt. The first one, I glued around his neck. The second, I tucked into the first, to make it look like his scarf was tied, then hotglued the end down to his body so it didn't stick out all crazy. Now just cut a top hat shape out of the black felt, glue a little sliver of red felt to the hat, and glue it to his head. Voila! Cute little snowman. I used some pearl beads for his buttons. You can use what ya like, or leave him naked. 

After I got the wreath, bow and sprays, I took apart the sprays. For this, all you have to do is pull the grouped bunches off the main stem, or just cut them off. Before you start putting those one, you might want to put on your bow first. All I did was take the twisty tie that typically comes on the bow, and twisted it around a branch of the wreath to secure it. If yours doesn't come with a twisty tie, take one off your bread or something. (; 

Tuck your spray fragments into your grapevine wreath and arrange them to look neatly disheveled (yes, that is possible). Hot glue the ones down that are feisty. Start wrapping your ribbon around the top fourth of the wreath, overlapping the wraps. Once you run out of ribbon, just hot glue the end down in the back. Final piece! Find a happy home for your little snowman and glue him on!

Make It Monday

Holiday Inspiration

You may have noticed that I went MIA last week. Maybe not, and that's ok! I needed to take a little mental break. I'm (for sure) an introvert, which means personal, alone time is pretty important to me. Life has been lacking that lately, and while that's ok for some, it's a little stressful for me. It was also my last week of training (10 weeks!). I completely take some of the blame for all of my anxiety over the past month. My work schedule was just too much for me to also get in the gym and also do my typical cooking and blogging. So for about a good month, month and a half, I haven't been in the gym. Going to the gym really helps control my anxiety. However, now I get to pick my work schedule, which means I made sure there was room for the gym. Not only do I miss the release of stress, I also need to get in there! It's holiday season, guys!! Ya gotta find a way to balance all that yummy food, right?

So, I'm about to start my Christmas crafting. I wish I could convey via internet how much I love Christmas decor and just the warm feelings that come along with it. Although I haven't made anything to show you guys, I have tons of ideas reeling through my head and tons of inspiration.

 

All the marvelous inspiration!!

Chocolate Mint Meringues

Peppermint Bark

Tiramisu Cheesecake Trifle

Mint Chocolate Delights

So, these things are what you have to look forward to! As for the DIY projects, I'll be taking little elements from each one. I have a total obsession with making presents look adorable. And of course, each year I have to top the previous year. That's just hard, ok? Last year, I made everyone's name out of wire and tied it on top of their present with a ribbon. Doubled as an ornament!

What are your DIY plans for the holiday season!? I love new ideas! Leave 'em below!

Make It Monday

Glitter Pumpkins

Please excuse my not cute porch.

I do apologize for being late, but boyfriend and I were at Best Buy all last night getting new iPhone 6's! And I'm a procrastinator and didn't have my post ready yet. (; but isn't she a beaut!?

So anyway, the first thing boyfriend said when I started making glitter pumpkins this weekend? "Halloween is over." If you're one of these people, it's still fall!!!! I can keep my decor up until thanksgiving! I can't go putting up my Christmas tree yet, can I? Nope, people would give me odd looks. So fall decor it is. Thank you very much. Trust me, as soon as Thanksgiving is over, I will lose my mind over Christmas decor. It's just so beautiful and sparkly. Until then, however, I will keep my fall decor and love it. (:

For a while, I was debating whether I wanted real pumpkins or craft pumpkins. I ended up opting for craft pumpkins for 2 reasons. 1) Michael's had an amazing deal. 2) One less thing I have to do next year! 

So, of course, you can pick whatever patterns your little heart desires, but I've gone with polka dots and stripes!

What you'll need:

Glitter

Craft pumpkins of various sizes

Tape

Paper

Scissors

Glue

Sponge brush

Rubber Bands

Patterns in mind

How to:

*Disclaimer: Do not do this inside, in clothes you like, or want to wear to bed. Because glitter.*

So anyway. I began by cutting out a circle out of a small piece of paper. Then, I just held it up to the pumpkin and, using the sponge brush, painted inside the circle with glue. Over a piece of paper, I shook some glitter onto the glue spot. Shake to remove the excess, and voila! Now cover the rest of your pumpkin in circles. The striped one took a little more. Using the rubber bands, "rope off" the areas you want to make glittery. I made one large stripe, a small stripe (that is blank), and then another large stripe. All together, I used 4 rubber bands. Now, using your sponge brush, paint a generous amount of glue inside the stripes you want to be glittery. Then, sprinkle the glitter on, shaking off the excess. Easy and super cute! Like, ridiculously cute. You could totally do chevron, but I'm way too anal about that. I know I wouldn't be able to make the stripes even, and that would drive me crazy. 

What's your favorite fall DIY!? I'd love to see in the comments below!

Make It Monday!

Fall Wreath

Welcome to the new change! It's holiday season, and that means I'm a crafting, baking fool. Fall and winter crafts and treats are my favorite. Throughout the holiday months, I will be giving you some DIYs, baked goods, and ideas for the holidays!

I'm going to kick off this change with an easy, pretty fall wreath. If you follow my facebook page, you saw that I went on a little excursion at Michael's. I was pretty proud of my purchases and savings! I saved $27!! You literally can't beat that. Needless to say, you'll have a few DIYs coming at you! So, let me show you how easy this is.

Materials Needed:

1 Grapevine wreath

(I used a 12")

Fall flowers of your choosing

(I used 4 small bouquets)

Ribbon

(I'm using a 4" burlap)

Hot glue gun & glue sticks

The Fellowship of the Ring

(optional, recommended)

Directions:

Heat up your glue gun. While you're waiting for that, separate all the flowers from the stems. Once the glue gun is hot, start by swirling the glue around the base of the flowers, one at a time. Then, just start sticking them through the vines, making sure the glue is anchored onto a part of the wreath. Continue doing this until the flowers are as full as you want them. While you're letting those dry, let's work on the bow.

Cut two lengths of ribbon the same length. Mine were about 40" pieces. Also cut a small piece, about 6-7", and cut it in half. Fold the two long pieces in half and lay one diagonally across the other, as shown above. Grab the center of the two, and scrunch them up. Wrap your small piece around the center of the longer two and hot glue it, so it's closed around the two, making a big bow! Now slather on some hot glue to the back center piece of your bow, and place it on the wreath where you'd like it! Press and hold it there for a few seconds, and you're done!
Go hang that on the door, and marvel at how cute it is and how many compliments you get on it. (:

Friday Favorites!

1. DIYs

I was a busy lady last weekend. You may have seen this if you follow my Twitter. *hint, do it.*

2. The Group

I took them to a job fair yesterday, where they got free things. This happened to the PINK dog on the way back...

3. Pumpkin. Spice. Lattes

I'm really ready for fall. It's my favorite time of year.

DIY Planner Pages!

DIY Planner Pages

For my Martha Stewart Discobound Notebook!

So, I wanted to show off the planner pages that I made for my notebook. I'm debating on putting these on Etsy, so please let me know if you would be interested! In case you didn't see my Friday Favorites post (here) about the notebook, it's absolutely wonderful. I love being able to completely customize my notebook/planner/whatever I want to make it.

Here's a little sneak-peek:

I'm obsessed with planning out my weekly dinners. This would be a page at the beginning of each week, with a blank back, as I would most likely tear it out at the end of the week!

When printed front and back, the calendar would have a notes page on the back for anything important I need to remember for the month (appointments, guest speakers, etc.) Both of these pages look the same for every month.

Finally, the weeks are a typical planner layout, with space for my blog post ideas and any notes for the week.

Each week has a different pattern on the top (they repeat after a while).

So that's about that!

Please let me know if you'd be interested in these planner pages, and I'll put them up on Etsy!

DIY Burgundy Hair!

I dyed my wig!

I color and cut my own hair. All the time (my hair is too long to see a real difference when I trim it). It could totally be because I'm a cheapskate, but I also just love to experiment. And I get bored with my hair easily. So, I've been a blonde for about 2 years now, and I was dying (see what I did there?) for a change. I've been in love with the maid's hair in American Horror Story since I first saw it, so that's what I went for. With a little twist.

Process:

Since I had really light hair, I knew this was going to be a bit of a process. I started with Ion Color Brilliance, in 7IR Medium Intense Red Blonde, thinking it was dark enough to do the trick.

Here's how that turned out!

Hey, Ariel! Is that you!?

Yes, yes it is. My hair was like, primary red after the first dye. Not exactly what I wanted, but I liked it. I've always wanted fire engine red hair, so this satisfied that need. However, this wasn't going to cut it for work.

The second time, I used Ion Color Brilliance, in 6RV Light Burgundy Blonde. It's a darker, more vibrant color that I hadn't seen the first time.

After the second round of dye, it was the American Horror Story maid hair color that I wanted! I've gotten a ridiculous amounts of compliments over it everywhere I went. I love it. In the sun, it looks super red, but in normal lighting, it's a nice dark/vibrant burgundy.

I did a masque after my second round, and OMG. This stuff is amazing. Amazing. It made my hair ridiculously soft.

 I love this color, and I can see mixing it with other colors to get the exact burgundy you want. I'm sure you could mix this color with a brunette or even a bit of black to make it less of a vibrant color!