Friday 31 January 2014

Fat Mum Slim Photo a Day Friday - January

I have taken upon myself a daily photo challenge over here at Fat Mum Slim, which for the first month has been pretty awesome.  It makes you look at the world a little differently (not in a crazed I need to take a photo way but more of a lets look around and see what the world is doing today, and if there's a cool photo opportunity well thats's even better.)

If you read this blog post you may also be inspired - it inspired me for 2014.  And you will also read it's inspired a lot of other people too.

It's pretty easy, you read the day's photo challenge and their prompts to give you some tips and hints for the photo.

I thought I would share my top 10 from each month with you to show off a little (and keep me motivated).  Hope you like them.

January Photo A Day Challenge List 2014

1.Lunch.....what was.....


3. My Town.....a little bit broken......


4. Word to live by.....Thankful.....


5. Found.....cool drink on a 32 deg day.....




9. Natural....The Christchurch Coastline


11. Looking down


13. Makes me smile.....when she's smiling too




 14. 3 Things.....Akaroa dinghies



19. Breakfast.....inspired by



29. Window.....the driftwood kind



Coming up in February.........

February Photo A Day 2014 #FMSphotoaday

Thursday 30 January 2014

Thrifty Thursday - Upcycled T shirt Scarves

It's a new year and with a new year brings resolutions and wishes.  One of them might be to update or clear out your wardrobe.  Don't be too hasty in throwing anything out, here are some ideas on how to upcycle those old t shirts into scarves.

I love scarves and have an extensive scarf collection, sometimes they jazz up an outfit and add a little colour (and warmth some days).  These scarves are made from old t-shirts and the good news is they require little or no sewing!   All scarves have an easy tutorial - just click on the links.

Twisted Braids Scarf

T-shirt Ruffle Scarf 

diy-multi-strand-scarf
Loopy scarf

Braided Scarf
Ruffled Ends Scarf
T Shirt Scarf 7
Fringe Scarf
Lime Green & Grey Tshirt Necklace - Infinity Scarf - Asymmetrical with Flower - From Repurposed Tshirts
I really love this one, available on Etsy, might have a go at making this one.  

Here are a couple of youtube tutorials for the rosettes if you are thinking of adding some to your scarves....




And with the leftover scraps, make a couple of bracelets like these cuties -
Upcycled Tshirt Bracelet Tutorial
Happy creating xx

Tuesday 28 January 2014

tutes cute tuesday - birthday wrapping ideas

I personally love wrapping gifts. I try to always wrap them if I have the time, it just adds a little cuteness and a personal touch.

I came across this super cute gift wrap idea from this tutorial here, added my own twist and voila! cute personalised wrapping.




Here is how I did it -

Materials
You will need:
any coloured paper
scrap paper
stickers - hearts, lettering etc
washi tape
glue stick
scissors
sellotape
felt

I just used some stuff that I had already. I had some brown paper, scrapbook paper, some stickers, fabric tape, yellow felt and some masking tape stickers.




Wrap your present with your chosen paper


Cut strips with scrapbook paper, strips of washi tape or fabric tape to make your candles.  I used enough strips for the age of the birthday girl (another way to personalise your gift.)


Cut the felt into triangle pieces for your flames, and glue above your candles. 


You can use felt or paper or you can draw the flames on like the one below


I also had another play with the candles idea and used heart stickers as the flames.


You can also use real candles like this one here

Wat een leuk inpakidee!
Source

Remember to add a tag or card (I always have a secret stash of birthday cards and add to these from time to time so I have all occasions covered, it's a bit stressful to a. remember to get a card and b. shop for a card with a toddler who likes to keep moving!)  and you are ready to give your gift.  Be ready for the 'oh cute!' comments!

Happy Wrapping xx

Monday 27 January 2014

My Inspiration Monday - hazel loves design


Hazel is the editor of Hazed magazine and the Blog hazel loves design. 2013 was a huge year for Hazel, working on quite a few projects - getting Hazed magazine from an online magazine to print, growing her blog hazel loves design, creating the Craft Love Festival, helping organise The Encraftment Market, The Emporium and Pay it Forward (just to name a few!)  She is a humble wee soul which makes her all the more inspiring and what better way to start My Inspiration Monday this year with someone who oozes inspiration. I had a little chat with Hazel to see where her inspiration comes from, how she fits it all in and what 2014 will bring.  


Summer 2013

How did Hazed/Hazel loves design come about? The Emporium?  And all your other projects?  

Honestly, out of boredom. My husband was working a lot of nights and I was spending a lot of time in the online world chalking up shopping points on the credit card, one day I happened across a blog I really enjoyed and decided to give it a go! Fortunately it helped saved the credit card from extinction - much to my husband's delight. 

Hazel Loves Design first started life as a blog sharing fabulous images that I had discovered during my online journeys, when Pinterest came about I found that simply re-posting images was no longer a valid and current way of blogging and my following had dwindled. Which is how the evolution came about, I looked to develop the blog into a niche, firstly that came in the form of 'Hazed' my online magazine which is dedicated to New Zealand's indie design world, but then I decided to push it a little further and now the entire blog is focused on New Zealand's hidden talent. Then when that was working out I pushed it further again branching out to include The Emporium and starting a market 'Craft Love Festival'. Now I often am asked to collaborate on exciting projects, for example 'Pay It Forward' a co-operative store which just opened in my neighbourhood and I've also been involved with committee's instigating some of Canterbury's largest craft markets. 



What are all your projects?


 As of 'right now' I'm actually not working on all that much, it has been time to admit 'enough is enough'. However Hazel has worked on the following projects below making 2013 very BUSY!

Blog - www.hazellovesdesign.com (keep an eye out for the five way files compiled by yours truly)
And a little bit of 'Pay It Forward' - https://www.facebook.com/payitforwardmairehau although I helped this initiative come into inception now that it is up and running I've taken a small step away.
Plus working full time for Westpac and keeping my hands full with two year old Brooklyn. 

Where do you find time to do all of this with a full time job as well? (Are you superhuman?!!)
Ha. If you had of asked me this question six weeks ago I would've said 'I've got an incredibly supportive family who empower me, and push me to achieve my dreams.' and while that is still very, very true, I'm feeling less romantic about it all, and a whole lot of exhausted. So my answer today is 'I don't', I am known to push myself to the point of absolute exhaustion and make myself sick as a result over the course of 2013. Some absolutely AMAZING things have been achieved by Hazel Loves Design and I couldn't be more thankful, but right now I'm feeling empowered by the motion of saying 'No', that less is definitely more. For 2014 I'll be focusing on doing a few things extraordinarily well and focusing less on the extra-curricular. 

Where did the name come from?


A lack of imagination! I had been developing my own brand of clothes (terribly - I don't think I ever sold anything except to family) under the label 'Hazel Design', when I took to blogging that name was already taken so it grew to include the 'loves', anyone who knows me knows two things, everything I admire 'I love' and I have a tragic affinity with exclamation marks! As a side note 'Hazed' was named after I posted the question 'What would you call a magazine' on Facebook! I can't even take credit for it! 

How long have you been writing for?
Only as long as I've been blogging, I don't think that I'm terribly good at it, but I enjoy it and find it therapeutic.  
One of my dreams for Hazel Loves Design and Hazed is to develop a book about being and selling indie in New Zealand. Although that is an incredibly romantic notion that may never eventuate - although never say never - 2013 has taught me that. 

Where does your inspiration come from?



I always feel most inspired at local craft markets. That is where you see the talent in the flesh, can touch, feel and smell the great products produced in the community for the community. In the online forum I have a couple of must visit websites and love the way that I have formed relationships and friendships with the talented lovelies behind them, Paper + Lace, Toodles Noodles and Sophie Slim are just a few of my favourites.

Paper + Lace - http://paperandlace.com/
Sophie Slim - www.sophieslim.co.nz

2014 - The year I start working part time for Hazel Loves Design
What do you love about what you do?

When I was little I'd often be seen chopping up Mum's magazines and making them into my own, playing my own little version of 'The Devil Meets Prada'. Here I am twenty five years later playing a similar adult version of that game. I never in a million years have thought that I'd be doing this, but it is something I enjoy, I love that I get to meet so many fabulous artisan's and designers who use their hands to create beautiful, beautiful things. And it is the polar opposite of my day job as a 'Professional banker'. 


What's next for you?
2014 - learning to say no
Rest! Well almost, am working through the holidays with the day job! 2014 should bring an opportunity to just keep chugging along improving and developing the things that are already under way, I don't anticipate taking on anything new! 

One HUGE goal I have to take on next is deciding if the time is right to start cutting back on my hours at the 'day job', then after that I'll be deciding if the time is right to take on a shared workspace - I get more done when I have to work away from home, at home I consistently make excuses and often don't start my day to 11am! 

I love making a visual manifesto of my goals for the new year and this Pinterest Board does a great job of showing the world my goals for 2014 by sharing them with the world it definitely makes me more accountable for my targets for the year. (p.s. totes love this idea and am going to do the same!)


Happy Planning for your 2014 to be inspiring!

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Tutes Cute Tuesday - Bunting Lantern

The new year has inspired me to tidy up around here - change a few rooms around, plant some pot plants, and add  a little sparkle that's been missing around here.  Lily will be moving into a big girl's room soon and this bunting lantern would be perfect - it's cute, practical and it's bunting!

Check out the full tutorial here at Bonjour Quilts

Here it is complete and hanging: a paper lantern with mini bunting.

post signature

Monday 13 January 2014

Happy New Year.........and all that jazz!


With the mosquito bites itching less and the sunburn fading, the end of the summer holiday period is over for most of us here in New Zealand.  With the holiday memories fading it's time to think about the new year ahead.  Where do we go from here? To blog or not to blog?  That is the question.  I have been thinking about the blog and why I do it.  It's simple really, I like to share. And I like to write, so it's a no brainer really.


If I find something cute, upcycled, informative, or all of the above I feel its worthy of a share into the big wide world that is called the internet.  I figure if I think it's cute someone else will and that's enough for me.

This year I hope to bring you more of the same but a little different (and still cute of course).
I have decided to structure the blog a little more so things aren't so haphazard but don't be surprised if this does happen - who doesn't love a little crazy now and then?

So here is a brief outline of what to expect -


My Inspiration Monday - bloggers and small businesses, that have inspired me and will most likely inspire you one blog post at a time!

Mini Bunting Paper Lantern ~ tutorial

Tutes Cute Tuesday - tutorials of cuteness ranging from how to make a bunting lantern to making a Memory Quilt.

ft_quilt07.jpg

What's Crafting Wednesday or What's cooking Wednesday
I have a Memory Quilt project in the works using Lily's baby clothes and I have also decided there is some improvement needed in our eating habits (code for I need to lose weight/we could eat better around here/need to feel a bit healthier) so I will share some recipes that will revolutionise things at your house (well maybe not revolutionise but you get the idea)

Create – wall art printable template | How Joyful

Thrifty Thursday - more projects, inspiration and ideas on upcycling that's cute (of course)

fatmumslim2

FMS photo a day Friday - This is something I have decided to take part in this year.  You can read about it here to get a sneak peek - Fat Mum Slim Photo a day.  It's made me look at the world differently already!

And mixed in with this madness will be funnies, giveaways, stories of cuteness everywhere and the odd snippet of how life is at my house..... But for now have a think about what you want out of this year....