diy project : ribbon sticks

When I was buying materials for the wedding two years ago in CA I went to LA and bought a handful of colorful satin ribbons. I bought them mainly to make our flower girl ribbon wands but I had a lot left over after the wedding. Since our anniversary was this week I thought I'd do a little decorating in our apt using our wedding ribbon. 

1. I just happen to have a couple of large dried out branches from the winter (I'm telling you - hoarder tendencies) that I had used for winter decor. First thing I did was use a stiff brush to take off any dust or dirt from the branches. Since we rent our apt I really didn't want to risk getting paint anywhere inside so I used a big box as a drying rack/splatter guard for the paint outside. 

2. I used plain ol' white acrylic paint and an old brush. I went for the solid white look but if you add a touch of water to the acrylic paint you could also achieve a whitewashed look too. If you need to walk away mid-painting wrap your paint and brushes in plastic wrap so they don't dry out. Spray paint would work for this project too. Just remember to spray in a continuous stream if you use spray paint.

3. Check out the box in action! After the first coat dries do some touch ups and a second coat if needed. 

4. While the paint dried I cut my ribbon to the length I wanted. I used satin ribbon but you could use strips of fabric too. After the branches are completely dry knot your ribbon along the branches. I always do the thicker ribbons first and do all of one color at the same time. This way it's easier to get color and size balance between your branches. 



5. Be creative with how you use the ribbon sticks. I decided to hang mine from the ceiling using twine. Our apt doesn't get a lot of natural light so having some color inside is kind of nice. That's it, enjoy!

diy love

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm already thinking about the weekend....

Recently my sweet hubby came up with the great idea to rearrange some furniture and the results were wonderful but the huge wall that was once covered with the TV became bare. I thought I'd add a little seasonal flare with a Valentine's installation.

I used twisted brown paper that was used as packing material and tacked it on the wall. Sidebar: what is the deal with the overkill of packing material these days? The only part I had to be careful with was twisting gingerly on the perforated parts of the paper because it had a tendency to tear.

Next, I painted some sheets of paper green and cut them out for the leaves. Lastly, I made a few 2-finger pompoms for flowers out of baker's twine using Creature Comforts' method, here.

diy pomegranate tea

I have fond memories of eating pomegranates as a kid. I would stuff handfuls in my mouth and savor each seed as it popped with juice. As I got older my mom would give me a mug full of Korean Pomegranate tea on cold winter nights. When I say "tea" I mean that in a very loose way because there are no tea leaves. It's basically preserved pomegranate syrup added to hot water. Pomegranate juice as we all know is a good source of antioxidants and in Asian cultures it is said to be very good for women in particular. Usually what the means is that it's good for women's reproductive organs or it makes you pretty haha.

This would be a great thing to have in the fridge during the cold winter months and it would also be a great gift to give.  And it just so happens that I'll be giving one batch to my boss for Christmas. If this sounds good but too much work you can also find commercially made jars of this stuff in Korean markets.  ;P

Korean Pomegranate Tea
- a sterlized and completely dried airtight vessel, I used a Slom jar from Ikea with a rubber gasket (sold separately)
- pomegranate seeds (one whole pomegranate seemed to be enough for one Slom jar)
- white sugar
- honey (optional)
- vodka (optional)

**warning: pomegranate juice will stain your clothes so be careful!
1. Sterilize your container with hot water and dry completely. Wash your rubber gasket too.
2. With clean hands open up the pomegranate and carefully release the seeds with your fingers into a clean bowl. Don't use any seeds that are brown and squishy.
3. Cover the bottom of your vessel with sugar and add a layer or seeds. Drizzle the seeds with honey if using and cover completely with a layer of sugar. Repeat until you reach the top.
4. If using vodka, carefully pour vodka until it covers the top layer. Close and refrigerate.



Essentially we are preserving the pomegranate juice with sugar and the enemy is mold. Should you find mold in your jar it means it's time to toss the batch. With time the seeds with break down and release their juice and mix with the sugar. The tiny pits in each seed will fall to the bottom and that's just fine because they're not for eating.

We want to reach the point of making a syrup with the juice and sugars. At that point we make the tea by adding this syrup to hot water. The amount of syrup is definitely to taste (I usually add about 3-4 Tablespoons) but you always want to use a clean dry spoon to retrieve the syrup so that the rest of the batch isn't contaminated. This tea is meant to be enjoyed as a winter treat (think Asian Hot Toddy) and can also be used medicinally especially if your batch has vodka. I would drink this when I had a sore throat or cough and it would give relief. If a hot drink is not your cup of tea (see what I did there?!) then this syrup would be a great addition to a winter cocktail, sparking water, or even to make your own flavored champagne.

diy wall starburst decor

First off, I'm sorry these pictures are grainy and lame. I had to use my point-and-shoot because of the focal length on my D-SLR. Anyhow, I wanted to share a quick and easy DIY room decor idea. My inspiration was from this beautiful wallpaper called Moonlight from Wallpaper Direct, pictured below.

Inspiration plus something paint chip circles and twine that I still had on-hand from Mark's birthday garland turned into a colorful starburst pattern on our bedroom wall. 

I used thumbtacks to haphazardly create the starburst pattern with twine and I taped the paint chip circles on the head of the tack. This way it's an easy DIY project that can also be taken down quick and leave the wall of our apartment relatively unblemished. This was important because I know we won't be living in this apartment forever. I want our deposit back, baby!

happy birthday to my sweet hubby

Today my sweet Mark turns a cool 28 years old. Unfortunately the birthday boy had work today but fortunately for me it gave me a chance to decorate the apartment as a surprise when he came home. I made a colorful DIY garland out of paint chips from Home Depot (took me 3 trips to collect enough). Sadly, my sewing machine is still in CA (not sure how to ship it, bah!) so I had to string tie these puppies by hand. Sewing them would have been SOOO much easier. *sigh*

I used two different size circle punches and one with scalloped edges to make the circles and put two wrong-sides together so the ugly backside of the paint chip wouldn't show as much as possible.  Rather than being anal I decided to space them out randomly to make more of a confetti-like look. As I made my garland I kept the ends of the string long and taped one end to a stiff piece of cardboard to wrap it around as I progressed to keep it from tangling...which is the worst thing that could happen after you've spent so much time making the damn thing.

Above all I am so happy to celebrating today WITH Mark and not long distance like we did for too many years.  Happy Birthday, my sweet hubby.

how to tie a tiny bow

Ok, so I thought about posting this under my "Unsolicited Wedding Advice Wednesdays" but I thought, "Naw, bows are cool everyday."  So I spied this trick while in China with my lovely work buddy, Shelby, what up!  We were looking at notions and embellishments but I saw a lady making tiny bows out of really short pieces of ribbon.  She had a box of maybe a couple THOUSAND pieces of ribbon...uber cray cray.  But she was cranking them out in seconds and I just stared as Shelby was busy working haha.  Anyway, I wanted to share this trick because one thing I HATE is wasting ribbon.  God, I'm such a nerd.  

Please forgive my horrible looking nails.  I totally forgot to buy nail polish remover at Target today.  :/

Step 1:

Cut your ribbon.

If you're not sure how long to make your ribbon piece I suggest making a test ribbon first.  When you find a length that works measure it and keep it to the side so you can cut your ribbon pieces to the correct length.  You'll find that the width of the ribbon will impact how long to make the length.  My ribbon width is 1/4" and the length was 6.5" from tip to tip.  

Step 2:
Loop.
Take one of the ends and make a loop close to the end with the rest of the ribbon behind it.  Notice that the short end is on top of the loop.  This makes one of the tails and 'rabbit tails' of the ribbon so if you already have an idea of about how long these part should be then you'll know how short to make this first loop.

Step 3:
Wrap.
Use your right thumb to hold the loop made in step 2 and wrap the long piece of ribbon around your thumb.  This will be the middle part of the bow.

Step 4:
Pull the second loop through.
Ok, this might be tricky to explain but the next step is to make another 'rabbit ear' with the remaining long end and pull it through the middle loop around your right thumb from step 3.

Step 5:
Tighten.
Even out the tails of the bow and the size of the 'rabbit ears' of the bow and tighten.  You're done!  You've made a tiny bow without wasting extra ribbon and it only took a short amount of time!  Adhere these bows to scrapbook pages, cards, crafts, invites, hair clips, whatever you like!

how i fold t-shirts

So a while back I watched a Japanese video on YouTube that demonstrated how to fold a shirt and I was so amazed by the sorcery that time to time I would yield its magic to fold my shirts.  Nowadays I use a method that's based on that video but is less confusing for my brain.  I will share my method with you today.  In hind sight I should've used my Lakers t-shirt for this but whatever.  Happy laundry folding!

Step 1: 

Holding the top of the t-shirt with your right hand and the bottom hem with your left fold back the right sleeve.  Notice that the fold is not directly on the collar but like 2 inches away.  Adjust this distance to your preference.  

Step 2: 
Take your left hand holding the bottom hem to your right hand and fold the t-shirt in half bringing the bottom hem up to the top of the t-shirt.

Step 3:
Next, fold back the left sleeve to match what you've done up til now.  Notice that the distance from the collar on either side is somewhat even.  I know, it's kind of anal but if you're actually following this post you're probably a somewhat anal person.  You're in good company, friend.

Step 4:
Fold the whole thing in half again so that it looks like the picture below.  You did it!

Ok, so if you're like me at this point you'd want to see a demonstration.  So using the timer setting on my point and shoot I have tried to do the steps again but including my hands.  This was a very awkward process to shoot.  Imagine me setting up the camera and hunching in front of it with the shirt above my ducked head.  All in my PJs.  

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:
This is a shot of what Step 3 looks like from the back of the t-shirt.

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : handkerchief

I wasn't supposed to cry at my wedding.  There were bets placed that Mark would cry and I would not.  Ok, bets were placed by me.  Everyone knows that Mark is the more emotional one and I was not supposed to cry.  I was supposed to be the happy smiley one all day.  And I was...until I cried.  

Nina, in her glorious wisdom, at the last minute suggested that I take a tissue with me before I walked down the aisle.  At this point I was still highly confident that the only tears that would be flowing would be from Mark.  The bridesmaids thought of subtle placement for the tissue...tucked in the bouquet (veto: it'll probably fall out), folded in my hand (veto: what do I do when I hand off my bouquet again and again), in my bust (veto: how am I supposed to retrieve it?  Put my hands in the cookie jar?!).  At the last moment I decided to go tissue-less and it turns out I needed it.  I had to strategically look at the ceiling during prayers or dab my eye with my finger.  Learn from my mistake.  You may or may not cry.  But if you DO you do not want to be tearing without something elegant to catch your tears.  Consider a sweet embroidered handkerchief.  

The one pictured above is from BeCreativeCrafts on etsy.com, here.  The ones below are from The Irish Linen Company in the UK.  I'm not sure if we're able to order from the US but here are some lovely options if we can, here.  I think these would be lovely gifts for bridesmaids too.  

Ok, so I'm all about DIY or "value" options so if buying an embroidered handkerchief doesn't fit the budget then considering buy very inexpensive white handkerchiefs and the swap meet and dying them to match your wedding colors with Rit fabric dyes (find at any craft or fabric store).  I've even dyed fabric using acrylic paint.  It may come out blotchy but I kind of like that.  Check stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, or second hand stores for patterned handkerchiefs.  Or try raiding your mom's or grandmother's dresser drawers.  

Last issue: what do you do with the handkerchief when you hand off your bouquet at various points during the service?  Of course you could hold it in your hand but if it's during a time when you need both your hands (like a candle-lighting) my idea was to use those thin latex elastic hair ties (but not in neon colors haha) that are used for kids hair and wrap one near the top of your bouquet.  Tuck a corner of the handkerchief through the elastic to keep it attached to the bouquet when you hand it off.  This will allow you to pull it free with you need it and tuck it secure when you don't.  

***Update:  Another great site with affordable prices is chewingthecud.com.  Check out their gift wraps (aka big handkerchiefs here).  I might buy one to wear as a scarf during the fall.  :P

a sneak peek & DIY ribbon wands

The chapel coordinator where I'm getting married discouraged me from using real and even fake flower petals for my two flower girls.  She explained this is because she is often the one stuck picking up the mess.  Even though it seemed like a pretty self-serving request I didn't mind going a different route for the flower girls. 

I made two ribbon wands for the girls to shake as they walk down the aisle.  I thought it would making walking down the aisle a little more fun for them and it would be something cute for them to take home after the wedding.  Oh, and I guess it would make the chapel coordinator happy too.  Yes, I know, I'm a sassy pants. 

DIY:
I painted 6mm wooden dowels and wooden head beads with a 10mm opening that I bought from JoAnn Fabrics.  I cut long strands of ribbon and stacked them, then I put the middle of the ribbon stack on top of the end of the wood dowel and shoved the head bead over the whole thing.  The extra thickness of the ribbon filled the 4mm of empty space and kept the head bead on snug.  Super easy and simple.  Now I just need to keep the girls from stabbing people with them (they're sassy girls too). 

a sneak peek

As they say in show business, "The show much go on."  Even if you break your toenail in half (have you seen Black Swan?), the show must go on.  Even if you're sore and achy, the show must go on.  Even if your dad is a tyrannical overlord, the show must go on.  :)  So, despite adversity the wedding show must go on and here's a sneak peak. 

These are 1" buttons that I made using a button-maker.  The patterns/colors were punched out of J. Crew and Boden catalogs.  Hahaha you use what you can, people!

these are a few of my favorite things

Check out my latest post on the MAMBI blog, here.

double header

Here are some projects I've worked on for a tradeshow in the Netherlands. It's just to exhibit some ideas on how to use our products. Headbands seem to be all the rage right now and you could easily make a custom one for yourself using paper. The small rose one is on a hair clip. I used MAMBI's new Holiday collection products found at Jo-Ann stores. I know, I know, Christmas in August is BS.

Here's another one I made using our Copper Willow collection, also at Jo-Ann's. It's a fall collection so I guess that's more reasonable for this time of year. My lovely co-worker is modeling it for you!

two bridal shower cards

Oi! It's been a very busy week at work. The days have been melting into another and I'm exhausted. We had a happy break from the madness by having a bridal shower for two of our employees that are getting married this year.

Here are the cards that I made for them. The first one was for on gal who's having a beach wedding.

The second was for a gal who's having a more typical big budget wedding. Haha, this small card booklet reminds me of an English gentlewoman reading Shakespeare sonnets by the countryside.