Bedroom Overhaul

If you give a girl a Lowe's gift card...

With the $40 Lowe's gift card I got for Christmas, I bought some tools and a few supplies to make this giant sign for my bedroom. It's been horribly dull for years. I got the idea from this post at Apartment Therapy.

I used 1/4 inch birch because it was thin, light, and relatively cheap. Vinyl letters are expensive, so I made my own with contact paper and an x-acto knife. It took forever but it was a whole lot cheaper than buying over 50 vinyl letters at 68 cents each!

Then I spray painted the board with the color I wanted the letters to be and used a ruler and a chalk line to basically make it a huge sheet of lined notebook paper. This was a big help when lining up the letters! Then I just stuck the letters to the board, spray painted my main color, and peeled the letters up! It took about 5 hours start to finish, including a quick dinner break and shopping for materials.** The bulk of the time was spent cutting the letters out of the contact paper.

You may be asking yourself, what's with the quote? The quote is from the episode of Futurama called "Godfellas." Yes, a sci-fi cartoon, as inspiration. Here's why:

In this episode, Bender accidentally is ejected from the ship and drifts through space. He is hit by an asteroid inhabited by tiny people, who worship him as a god. He tries to help his people, but always messes it up. So, he stops interfering and his people end up destroying each other. Sad and alone, he drifts until he sees a galaxy signaling in binary who seems to understand him and the rest of the universe. The galaxy (which we eventually understand to be God) tells him that you have to use a light touch "like a safe cracker." Do too much, and people become dependent. Do nothing, and they lose hope. God ultimately saves the day and returns Bender to Earth. Meanwhile, Fry and Leela have locked a whole bunch of monks in a laundry room and figure that God will save them. Bender valiantly goes back to rescue them as he recounts to his friends that you can't count on God for anything-he pretty much said so himself! The last scene is God saying "When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all." I highly recommend watching the whole episode (20 minutes) which is remarkably available online here.

I love this quote because it reminds us that just because we can't see evidence that something is working, that doesn't mean it isn't. This can go for God's work in our lives, or our country, or our own work. It's important to remember that sometimes your best work may not be recognized, and it's because you really did do a great job. Recognition isn't everything. And if you spend all of your time seeking it, you're probably faking. Religious or not, this quote means something and I've always loved it. Sometimes cartoons can be pretty deep!

Other stuff in the room:

• The framed roadrunner picture is actually a linen napkin I found at Saver's for a dollar. It matched my room so I took it home, ironed it into an 8x10 rectangle, and stuck it in an old frame that I spray painted to match the room. Everything else in the frames is either scrap fabric or a postcard. Once again, hooray for spray paint and making all the frames match.
  
• The bench is a telephone bench from Goodwill ($10 I think) that I painted. I also re-covered the seat with a nicer fabric. It needs to be painted again, but Krylon fusion spray paint holds up pretty well on cheap laminated plywood that is otherwise un-paintable.


• All of my jewelry is lined up in mason jars on my dresser (free from my dad) because I couldn't find a better way to store it. I like the way it looks. I keep all of the necklaces that I use on a regular basis in that cute orange thing on the lamp shelf, which was a gift from my friend Jared.


• Small mirror: free from my dad's house, again. Big mirror: $2 at a garage sale, found at the same place as the side table, which was $1.
• The tall lamp is a WalMart lamp (for shame!) but only came in a black finish, so I spray painted it. I love spray paint SO MUCH.


• The Aladdin lamp is genuine-it's a real antique but is still incredibly useful. It is courtesy of my aunt and uncle. It saved my butt during an ice storm my first year of teaching in KS, and I'm sure if the power ever goes out again I'll be glad I have it.
• That adorable shamrock cross is a gift from my friend Gina, who always finds me the coolest St. Patrick's day stuff for my birthday!

**Shopping at Lowe's. Ugh. I needed a new set of screwdrivers as mine got lost in the move, and when I asked an employee he said, "Why, what'd you break?" I get pretty irritated when I walk into a hardware store and the male employees assume that females shopping there are incompetent. Look, buddy, I do all of my own repairs. I am a bada$$. Shut up.

Christmas Crafting

Miraculously, I finished the Christmas gifts I needed for today.

First, I made some ultra-conservative ties for my ultra-conservative dad. I only have a picture of one but it should give you a good idea:

This was my first venture into DIY screen printing, and there is a great tutorial over on Threadbanger. I'm not entirely thrilled with the precision of the printing, but it's decent. I need to play around with it some more. The screen was pretty simple to make using the tutorial's instructions, and all three ties that I used cost me a whopping $9 at Goodwill (yes, they do have some decent ties if you're planning to do something with them!) With all the hype about bedbugs, plus my own germ-o-phobia, I made sure to steam them before doing anything with them. (Note: steamer=worthy investment!)

The above gift was put together with the help of this lunch bag tutorial and this monogram canvas bag tutorial. If I had to make it again, I'd enlarge it. It came out smaller than I anticipated (and as a result, I have a TON of leftover fabric. Expect to see it used on future gifts). I made the inside spill-proof; this required a lot of thought but in the end, not much effort. I would have preferred to use oilcloth, but the only place you can find real oilcloth nowadays is online and I just didn't have the time to order it. Vinyl tablecloth fabric was another option, but I don't like any of it. You can make your own oilcloth by dipping fabric in linseed oil; however, I wasn't sure if the stuff I could get at the hardware store would be food grade, and apparently it has a tendency to spontaneously combust. So...I found some iron-on vinyl (made by Heat n' Bond Lite).

You can see that the bag contains a drawstring cover that tucks down inside of the bag, or makes it somewhat expandable:

Last but not least, I made a hoodie for a gamer friend:

I believe there was once upon a time a tutorial for this, but it's gone now. I just used the idea and ran with it. If you've never worked with freezer paper, I need to tell you that it is officially my new favorite crafting supply for good reason. First, it's cheap and can be found at the grocery store. Second, you can iron it so that one side sticks to your fabric and then use it as a stencil, or for paper piecing of quilts.

The above image is the stencil ironed on to the hoodie, so you are seeing a negative image. The final product is white paint on black fabric and looks pretty awesome! To make the stencil, I printed out the picture and lettering on three separate sheets of paper, arranged them and stuck them to the freezer paper with spray adhesive, and then cut out the negative areas with an exacto knife. The paper stuck on with the spray adhesive comes off pretty easily just by peeling-but it will fall right off when you iron anyway.

If you're wondering how I found all of these great tutorials, the answer is the Sew Mama Sew Blog. I check regularly, but especially in November when they publish their Handmade Holidays ideas. You can find this year's master list here. Previous years are definitely worth checking out as well!

Merry Christmas!

Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas everybody! It's 4 am and I'm sitting here watching TBS's 24 hour marathon of

A Christmas Story, but I'm about to switch to the Futurama Holiday Special (on DVD, of course). I'm still up because I was finishing Christmas presents (pictures later), and it has been a CRAZY day full of what we might as well call Christmas miracles.

Driving home from picking up lunch today, I lost my brakes. As in, was unable to stop without considerable effort and smoke. Luckily I was down the street from a place that does brakes and got the car in. For the low low price of $926, I have a new rotor and caliper on the front driver's side, new pads on all four brakes, and a freshly flushed brake system with new fluid. But the important thing is, I'm alive and my vehicle will now pass state inspection.

I had to cut the gift-making short to go sing in the choir at St. Clement's, which I have to say was a great time tonight! I missed going to the usual Christmas Eve party but had a good time with the choir nonetheless and enjoyed both services. The Church is decorated beautifully at Christmas! Here, Karen and I show off our Christmas vestments (finding a set that fit was interesting) in front of the altar:

At Christmas, I am always reminded of how magical my mother managed to make it. We broke with tradition in almost every way (opening gifts on Christmas Eve, cornish hens instead of turkey, the artsy-fartsy tree) but my favorite is our family's Christmas poem. Most people are used to hearing The Night Before Christmas, but my family has Mrs. Claus, a poem written by a female ancestor of mine who was obviously way ahead of her time in the feminist movement. My grandmother used to read it to my mom and my aunt while she made the divinity. It's passed down almost exclusively through oral tradition, and I have to think about it to write it. I've been able to recite it since I was ten:

Of all the busy people this happy Christmas time,

none work like Mrs. Claus for days and nights besides.

The good old Saint her husband has so much to do,

if Mrs. Claus did not take hold they never would get through.

Their home is bright and cheery; they call it Reindeer Hall.

Icicles stick fast to the roof and icebergs form the walls.

The Northern Star, bright and shining, gives all the light they need,

For How to Climb the Chimney is the only book they read.

There's dolls in all the corners, there's dolls in all the chairs

piled high in every cupboard shelf and way up the front stairs.

But not a stitch of clothing on any can be seen-

Old Santa Claus is nice, but he can't sew on a machine.

So Mrs. Claus is busy making petticoats and sacks,

and there are all the shirts to make for all the jumping jacks.

And long clothes for the babies, and hats and caps and capes.

All the dresses must be cut in the very latest shapes.

Bright on the fire a kettle boils, making such a noise-

the lid pops up, how good they smell! Those lemon candy toys.

Such lots of candy cooking, such stacks of chocolate spice,

the kitchen is a sticky place, so sticky but so nice.

The reindeer must be harnessed, the toys packed in the sleigh,

and old Santa Claus wrapped up in furs to ride so far away.

Then Mrs. Claus he kisses and says,

"My dear, I don't believe I'll be back home till nearly New Year's Eve"

And then away he dashes, as Mrs. Claus does call,

"Be careful how you climb. I'll worry lest you fall!"

And old Santa Claus is smiling,

"I never in my life could do so much for boys and girls without so good a wife!"

One of our family's favorite Christmas movies was Prancer. I won't give away too many plot details, but the movie is precious. I cry like crazy at the end every time. The basic premise is that child-like faith and hope are more often right than wrong. Near the end of the movie, the main character's father reads her a portion from the famous "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

That's the part that gets me every time. Whether or not you embrace a religion, your willingness to believe in the unseen is important. It means that you will have an open mind. It means that you will look beyond the usual answers. It means that you are able to accept that something bigger than you is at work in the world, be it God or just the law of gravity.

My parents were so good at being Santa Claus that I believed in a very true sense until I was in the 7th grade. And I will always believe in the spirit of Santa Claus-because, as my mother told me, "as long as parents love their children, there will always be a Santa Claus." I'm so thankful to my mom for teaching me that it's ok to believe in the things you can't see.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? "VIRGINIA O'HANLON. "115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET." VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Naturally Blonde

As all of you who know me know, I am not in fact a redhead. I'm naturally blonde. But I can claim that my hair color is "natural" because I do not obtain it by commercial chemical means. Ah, henna! The same stuff that you see used for the beautiful skin designs in India can also be used to turn your hair red.

The first time I colored my hair with henna was about two days before my high school graduation in 2003, and my mom freaked out. The first time you color blonde hair with henna, it turns a rather comical orange shade. And I was graduating in white. By the second application, though, I had the color I have now.

Henna is a plant (Lawsonia inermis) whose leaves are dried and then ground into powder and used as a dye. The color varies on skin from faint orange to dark brown; on hair it has the same color variation, although I've heard that it can turn gray hairs pink!

When henna is used as a skin decoration, it is referred to as Mehndi. It has a lot of cool traditional uses and has a few little-known side benefits when applied to the skin.

• Henna is a natural anti-fungal.
• Henna is a natural sunscreen!
• Henna has astringent properties-it feels cool going on and actually draws heat away from the skin.
• Henna is a natural anti-perspirant. You probably wouldn't want to stain your pits orange, but boatmen used to coat their palms with it to prevent chafing while rowing.

Henna also has several benefits for your hair, mostly because of the way in which it coats the shaft of hair.

• Henna thickens and strengthens your hair-no more split ends!
• Henna causes light to reflect differently off of your hair, making it shiny.
• Henna makes your hair softer.
• Since henna is a natural sunscreen, no more sunburns on the part of your hair.
• Henna's astringent properties make it a great headache relief during application.
• Henna can eliminate problems like headlice and ringworm.
• It's a whole heck of a lot cheaper than commercial chemical dyes, and won't damage your hair!

I purchase my henna from a local Indian grocery store, and it looks something like this in the box:

The brand varies depending on what the store has in stock, but it's always $2.99 a box. Not bad! When the powder comes out of the little plastic bag inside the box, it smells kind of like hay and will be anywhere from bright green to an olive or light brown color. The more green it is, the fresher it is.

Henna is pretty easy to mix up, and you can use all sorts of add-ins to tweak your color OR improve the smell (I like it, but it takes some getting used to!). A very comprehensive list of mixes can be found on the Reverend Bunny's Henna Page. Generally speaking, henna likes acid. Things like lemon juice will help to make your color more vibrant. You should NEVER use metal utensils with henna; it's surprisingly chemically reactive and it will tarnish metal. The metal may also alter your color. I use a glass mixing bowl and a plastic or wooden spoon. You should also know that the henna will stain anything other than glass, so if that freaks you out, use a different spoon for henna. Here's what it looks like mixed up:

Of course, if it's fresh, it will be baby poop green! Henna also stains your skin, so before I put it in my hair I always coat my hairline in either a thick lotion, vaseline, or olive oil and put on a pair of gloves. If you skip the gloves, it will look like you have a cheetos addiction. Also, wear an old t-shirt. Putting henna in your hair isn't like putting regular dye in your hair because it's so thick. The easiest way to do it is to coat just your roots at a part, then move on to another section. Pile all of your hair on top of your head and then coat the rest of it. The results of this can be pretty comical, as Tricia and I demonstrate in this Sellards photo circa 2006:

It's then a good idea to cover your hair with something. Henna reacts favorably to heat, so I always cover mine with at least a plastic bag to trap in some body heat and keep messes to a minimum. You can also throw a towel or t-shirt over the plastic bag:

Again, this stuff isn't like commercial dye that you let sit for just half an hour, then rinse. The longer you leave this stuff on, the more vibrant your color will be. I leave mine on for about an hour and a half usually. It takes a LOT of shampooing in the shower to get it out, especially if you didn't mix it well and it's lumpy. But the end result is so worth it!

This color will change a little over the next week depending on my blow dryer use and how much time I spend in the sun. Again, henna reacts to heat.

Now, a few critical warnings:

• Anything marketed as "black henna" is not real henna or even natural. It contains PPD (a toxic chemical) and can cause serious chemical burns. See the oozing skin photos if you don't believe me. The exception to this is indigo. It is possible to use indigo as a hair dye and as a skin decoration, but it's definitely tricky enough that you should read up on it before attempting it.
• As I stated before, don't use your metal utensils when mixing. Henna can tarnish metal.
• Henna will stain anything porous, including your skin. Protect surfaces and wear an old t-shirt.
• If your hair is chemically dyed, wait for the dyed sections to grown out before attempting henna. Chemical dyes are basic, and the henna mix is acidic. Putting them together is the equivalent of an elementary science baking soda and vinegar volcano-and it's possible it will turn your hair frog butt green and fry it.
• Your hair stylist probably doesn't know anything about henna. Don't necessarily believe what they tell you.
• Henna doesn't contain any bleach, so don't expect bright red hair if your hair is dark. You will however, get the conditioning benefits and probably some nice shine and highlights.
• Likewise, if you have very light hair, it will take a few applications to move you from cartoon character orange to the red color that I (as a natural blonde) have.
• The recipe for henna to use as body art is very different and will yield better results on skin than the hair dye recipe...so ask for another post on using henna as body art if your'e interested! The first photo posted is some henna (while it was still on the skin) that I did at a bachelorette party this summer.

Happy henna-ing! Once you start, it's hard to stop. I have at least one other person addicted ;)