DIY: Blue Double Strand Statement Necklace

1. Start with jewelry (stringing) wire, jump ring, and crimp bead. You'll also need your pliers.

(I usually cut about 24" of wire... It's better to have it too long, than too short)

2. String crimp bead, and then the jump ring. Loop wire over jump ring and back through the crimp bead.

3. Gently but firmly squeeze the crimp bead using the pliers.

4. Cut off the extra jewelry wire. 

5. String beads and close off the strand the same way you started it. 

6. Make a second strand the same way, attaching it to the first set of jump rings.

 

7. Cut jewelry chain to desired length. 

I usually put a piece around my neck until I like the length, then cut the piece in half to attach the clasp. 

I also chose to use two pieces of chain on each side instead of just one.

8. Open jump ring and attach the two pieces of chain.

9. To finish off the necklace attach jewelry chain to jump rings on each side, as well as attaching a clasp.

If you've never made a necklace before, this might be a little confusing.. 

 Here are my other statement necklace tutorials: 1 2 

They're a lot more detailed, and there are more pictures of each step :)

Inspiration: Banana Republic

Newlywed Game #3!

1.  Who does the laundry in your home, you or your spouse? Any good stories?

Me: I usually do the laundry and he puts it away! Him: She usually does

2.  If your spouse had to eat at one restaurant for the rest of their lives, what would he or she pick?

Me: Oh gosh... Ling and Louie's maybe... he's had something different every time we've been there and hasn't found anything he hasn't liked yet :p Him: Probably Peter Piper Pizza...it's not my favorite pizza in the world but she adores it. 

3.  Are you or your spouse better at cooking? Any good stories?

Me: He is! We usually bake together, and he usually cooks! Have I mentioned he's the best? ;)Him: I'm the chef!

4.  Which one of you is more concerned about their "fashion"?

Me: Probably me.. but we both will usually choose comfort over "fashion" hahaHim: My fashion ends at hats...so her probably :P

5.  Ideally, if you don't have them already, when does your spouse want to have children?

Me: Oh, he'd totally have them right now if we were totally good financially! He wants to be a daddy, and honestly, I don't blame him, he's going to be great! Him: She wants to wait about 7 years until we are more than financially stable, which I can agree with.

6.  Who planned dates when you were dating? And what was one of your favorites?

Me: Him probably.. but we mostly just said hey let's do this.. or hey let's do that. We're homebodies though, and I guess we always were really. My favorite "date" was the picnic he took me on when we got engaged :)Him: I don't know if anything was planned besides our first date and when I propose.  We kind of like to live in the moment. 

7.  What's been the toughest part of being a newlywed?

Me: I can't be completely honest about this question because.. well, I can't pick and choose who reads my blog if you know what I mean. But, I'd say probably finances. This probably has more to do with us getting married young, and we've put ourselves in a position where we're better off than a lot of people are in these economic times, but it's still hard to feel completely stable right now. This year we're hoping to get some more money into savings :)Him: ^^^^^^^^ :D

8.  Who is the best with the finances?

Me: Definitely me! I am in charge of budgeting and paying the bills. Him: I'm terrible with money....

9.  Who is the strict one?

Me: Probably me. Him: Her! Booooo rules! 

10.  What will you plan to do for your first anniversary? Or if you've already celebrated your first anniversary, what did you do?

Me: We kept it simple, just spent the day together and went out to a nice dinner :) You can read the recap here, and see what gifts we exchanged :) 
Him: Exchanged some small gifts and went to a nice dinner. It was perfect for us.

A cause we both feel super strongly about is saving whales. Sea Shepherd is the only organization who is directly doing something about it, and Captain Paul Watson needs our help.

Please, take a moment to read and sign this petition.

Put Down Your Drink and Blow Out the Candles..

Well my friends, today marks my 21st birthday! We went out to dinner with Dad last night, and he got me a cake! :) Tonight the husband and I are going to dinner, low key is the way we like it :)

I'm The Kinda Girl...

Bridgit Mendler anybody? 

I'm the kinda girl who...

believes in saving our planet.

has a small obsession with dandelions.

listens to everything from Taylor Swift to Tupac.

loves her husband more than anything.

is the reliable friend, the shoulder to cry on.

watches crime shows like NCIS and Castle. 

believes dolphins do not belong in captivity.

recently discovered a love for baking.

still watches wedding shows like Say Yes to the Dress.

would probably sell my soul for a back tickle.

has a great relationship with both parents.

loves the ocean, but is terrified to get in it.

is grateful for the people in her life. 

believes a cupcake for breakfast is totally reasonable.

keeps watching Gilmore Girls even though I've seen every episode at least 3 times.

will not just tell you what you want to hear.

always tries to be positive and happy.

A Call to Action! {Giveaway}

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw a sneak peak of this photo a couple days ago. I love this simple kind of art that isn't too detailed... I just love it, and luckily for me, I have a husband who is amazing at this stuff! He sketched this, and then scanned it into photoshop and created this beautiful thing! I am absolutely in love with it and will be printing it out and framed soon! I actually got a bigger response to this than I was expecting, and we actually discussed opening our Etsy shop back up, but for right now, we just aren't ready for all the commitment and time that goes with that. As some of you know though, I recently passed 400 GFC followers (by the way, you guys are so awesome!) and was thinking of a giveaway, and the idea for this one kind of just fell into my lap. So the winner of this giveaway will get a custom digital print similar to this one! If you win, I'll ask for a picture, it doesn't necessarily have to be a wedding picture, and he'll create a drawing similar to this one.. Or if you'd prefer he can make one just like this, but change the style of the dress, and color of the flowers, suit/tux (military uniforms can be drawn as well!), etc.. Just so you know your options before you enter! ;) 

On this widget are the usual entries, but two that are very different. The bottom two are actually a call for action because I need your help! If you've been following along for awhile, you'll know I am hugely into ocean conservation and an organization called Sea Shepherd, and Paul Watson is a huge hero of mine. He founded Sea Shepherd. They are the only ones directly getting involved with saving whales. This means going head to head with Japanese fisherman, and of course, the Government of Japan. And for political reasons, the US government has decided to back Japan instead of Paul Watson, who is a citizen of this country. Japan wants the US to extradite Paul Watson to Japan if he sets foot in the US. This would be a huge loss for our environment, and the whales, dolphins, sharks, etc. that other countries want to kill.  So this petition is calling for the US to provide a safe haven for Paul Watson, and to not extradite him. I know it's probably so confusing, but Paul Watson is someone who we need to be free to help our planet, and animals on this planet, not sent back to Japan because of him preventing whales being killed, or back to Costa Rica for preventing shark finning. I know that I am not explaining this well or making much sense.. but bottom line, I need your help to make sure Paul Watson has a safe Haven here in the United States. And that's what the petition is for.. 

I know that it is way more effort than any other entry, and that's why it has the most entries attached to it. 

For more info click here, they probably make more sense than I do! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


PS: This will not be the last of these digital print giveaways, so if you don't win this one, there are more on the way :)

The Newlywed Game #2!

1. How long were you dating your spouse before getting engaged? 

Me: 9 months! And we lived together after just 6 months! But it all worked out :)Him:  9 months 

2. Do you remember your first big fight, if so, what was it about? 

Me: Not particularly.. but if you follow me on twitter, you can probably guess hahaHim:  No I can't, we had some pretty big problems when we were dating.  But obviously it all worked out. 

3. Who said "I love you" first? 

Me: He did! Him:  I actually said the words first, she sent me a text saying "I :heart: U" which I mistook for her saying it first.  I said "I love you too" back to her...a few months later I realized that's not what she meant at the time. :P I still meant it though. 

4. What is your spouse most afraid of? 

Me: Clowns, definitely clowns! Him:   Probably spiders :P I have to save her all the time.

5. Who uses more hair-care products? 

Me: He does! Only because I don't use any at all.. he only uses a little bit of gel when his hair gets way too long :p Him:  Uhhh...maybe me...she doesn't use anything.

6. Who initiated the first kiss? How was it on a scale from 1-10? 

Me: Oh, he totally did! On the first date too.. little brat haha! It was a 20! Best last first kiss ever :) Him:  I did...I had been waiting a long time to be in the moment.  It was off the charts ;)  

7. You are on your way out, and need to turn around because someone forgot something... was it you or your spouse who most likely forgot something? 

Me: If it's the weekend, probably me! But during the week , definitely him! ;)Him:  Definitely her all of the time. :P 

8. Who takes longer in front of the mirror? You or your spouse? 

Me: Most days, it's probably about the same! But if I straighten or curl my hair, definitely me.Him:  She does.  Most of it is spent dancing and looking at herself though :P 

9. What would your spouse name your children if you had one girl and one boy? 

Me: Leia and Luke (By the way, that would never happen lol!)Him: Lorelai (I'd call her Rory, Gilmore Girls anybody?!) and Dom (short for Dominic) 

10. If you were able to give away one thing that your spouse owned, what would you choose?

Me: One of his pieces of art is Heath Ledger as the Joker and Batman and it's an amazing, but it creeps me out so much! I would never let him hang it in our room :PHim:  Her bed :P It's the one that's shes had since she was a teenager, I want to upgrade to a king. ;) 

Super Bowl Series: Cupcake Recap!

Obviously, this morning I am very happy! We are huge Ravens fans, so it was pretty exciting! I love making cupcakes, and I love trying new ways to decorate them! So here's what our cupcakes for Super Bowl looked like :)

I used white cake mix, and store bought frosting for these :p I was just too lazy! But I did make the chocolate cupcakes from scratch, and this is the only recipe we use! It's amazing, and they stay moist for a very long time. Just looove them! ;) 

Chocolate Cupcakes: 

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (sifted)

- 2 cups sugar

- 2 1/2 cups flour

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup hot water

- 1 cup buttermilk

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup vegetable oil

- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Line cupcake tins and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. In a small bowl, stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Sift cocoa into a medium size bowl. Pour in the cup of hot water, and whisk until completely dissolved.

4. Add buttermilk, then add sugar, and whisk until combined.

5. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix again.

6. Take flour mixture and whisk until wet mixture. 

7. Stir in heavy cream until evenly mixed in. 

8. Pour batter into cupcake tins, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

9. Let cupcakes cool completely. 

10. Chill in fridge for around 20 minutes. Then frost.

I also did two DIY projects for the Super Bowl! The football utensil jars and the penalty flag center piece. Both are pictured in the top picture and are super easy for any kind of football party! :) 

The Newlywed Game!

Our wedding! October 22, 2011

The day after we got married! 

one:  What was it about your spouse that made you think they were "the one"?Me: Honestly, when I would look at him doing something across the room, and just smile. And you just feel it, can't really explain it.. but I knew.Him:  She put up with things that no normal girl should have put up with at that age. Especially to be with a nerd like me!two:  What is your spouse's most annoying habit?Me: He snores!! I love him so much, but it is horrible :p Especially when I wake up the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep..!Him:  Her most annoying habit is that she doesn't have an annoying habit. Awwww.three:  Does your spouse have to sleep on "their side of the bed", if so, which side?(if you're laying in bed looking up at the ceiling)Me: No.. I get my way on that, so he just sleeps on the other side of where I sleep... Such a sweet Husband :)Him:  For some reason she always seems to want to sleep on the closest side to the door.  I don't get it.four:  How are you planning to spend Valentine's Day?Me: Like any other day... I've never been big into Valentine's Day! Him:  She doesn't like Valentine's Day...so probably nothing. (I picked a winner ;) )  five:  Who usually ends up trying to resolve an argument (aka..being the "bigger person")?Me: He usually likes to be the one to talk it out... I'd rather have my space until I'm ready to talk :p We don't really get into that many big arguments though... mostly just bicker about stuff! Him:  Nobody is really the "bigger person" I usually just bug her until she is forced to yell at me...anything is better than the silent treatment!six:  How many kids do you plan to have one day, if any?Me: I'd love two! He'd like to be closer to 4 :p We're adopting, and we'd love to find a sibling group, so if we find a group of 4 that we fall in love with, then it was meant to be.. right? :)Him:  2-4seven:  What is your spouse's best friend's name & do you get along with them?Me: Zach, and I do get along with him :) I think everyone would though, he's a sweetheart! Him:  Jon, I have yet to officially meet him because he is studying in Iowa.  But from what The Wife says about him, there is no way I couldn't get along with him.eight:  If your spouse one day told you that they are an ex-convict, how would you react?Me: Definitely depends on what it was.. but I think it would be more of an issue about lying, than being a convict.. does that make sense? Him:  Depends on the crime, murder I'd probably freak out.  Bank robber I wouldn't be surprised, her dad would probably be her partner. HAHAHAHAH! nine:  Do you wish your spouse would stop doing a particular routine?Me: Getting up in the morning and blowing his nose.. I mean it's cute, in a really annoying way :p Him:  Not really, she doesn't exactly have specific routines.  She lives in the moment most of the time and always keeps me guessing. :)ten:  Did the honeymoon go exactly as planned?

Me: Well, other than the fact we waited about 6 months before we went on what we considered our honeymoon.. We also had to detour to Utah, but we still had a great time just being together... and yeah, we both got sun-burnt... idiots :p At least we learned our lesson, even if we had to learn it the hard way! ;) Him:  For the most part, cannot say that I planned on getting incredibly sun burnt when I fell asleep on the beach.