Crafty : DIY Glitter Gauges

Back in 2005 I decided to gauge my ears to 00g, with the express intention of acquiring hanging white wings. (A decision I've never once regretted!) Somehow to this day I still haven't gotten my hands on a pair of gorgeous wings, but I have obtained many other cute gauges, both hanging and not.

Recently I inherited a pair of hanging, black spiral gauges. 

I love them! The only problem? The color got completely lost in my dark hair. 

That means it's time for a mini-makeover.

- Scissors

- Masking Tape

- Base Color Nail Polish 

- Glitter Nail Polish 

- Top Coat 

- Gauges

- Something to hang your gauges from while they dry (I used a laundry hanger, shown later in this post)

- Optional: Small paintbrush

The colors I used were : Sephora by OPI's "Frankly I Don't Give A-dam", Milani's "Diamond Dazzle", and Sally Hansen's "30 Second Topcoat".

* The gauges I painted were water buffalo horn. I'm assuming this would work for wood, acrylic, and plastic plugs as well, but I haven't tested this theory.

STEP 1

After you've cleaned your gauges with soap and water, and they're completely dry - cut two pieces of masking tape and use them to tape off where you want the color to start. (You may need more than one piece of tape to make sure the line is uniform around the curve of horn.) I opted to leave the part that would go through my ear bare, as I'm not too keen on the idea of absorbing nail polish chemicals through my skin.

STEP 2

Got that tape securely in place? Nice. Now it's time to slap on the first coat of base color - light grey in my case. I used the nail polish brush to paint the whole thing, and well... it definitely works, but it's a pain in the butt. It may be easier to use a small paintbrush, but I didn't think of that until after I was done. ^-^ Don't forget to paint the inside of the swirls, and try not to drop your brush or the gauges. (I dropped both, twice. Beware of carpet!)

STEP 3

Hang those bad boys up to dry!

Let them hang for 10-20 minutes, depending on how quick your brand of nail polish dries.

STEP 4

Time for the second coat of base color! 

This is somewhat optional if your polish is super opaque, but I chose to do a second coat for high gloss and intense color.

STEP 5

Hang those gauges up for the second time, for another 10-20 minutes.

STEP 6

Now it's glitter time. Use your glitter polish to go over your base coat, and don't forget about the inside of those spirals! (Feel free to do two coats of glitter if you wish, I only needed one.)

STEP 7

Hang those gauges for the third time! Let them dry for 10-20  minutes.

STEP 8

The finish line is in sight. Slap your top coat over the glitter layer, making sure to hit those tricky inside parts of the spiral as well.

STEP 9

Carefully peel off the tape.

STEP 10

Hang those gauges for the last time. If you've got a quick dry top coat, they should be done in about 10 minutes. I let mine sit for a few hours, just to be sure they were really dry. After that, you can go back and clean up any smudges along your cut off line with nail polish remover, if you feel so inclined. I didn't have too many smudges, so I let the imperfections stay.

You're totally done now, woo!

Time to show off your sparkly new gauges to the world!

Street Art : Urban Crochet & Graffiti

I found my first urban crochet!

  (Technically this wasn't completely crocheted onto the bench, it was just a really long scarf woven through the slats, but I'm still excited!) This plethora of pink was chilling in a small communal area in the Piedmont neighborhood, right across from the theater.

I found this fun guy on a walk to the Grand Lake area. I can't tell if he's dancing, or telling me to speak up. Shrug. He definitely caught my attention though!

What are your thoughts on street art?

Panda Poet

When I'm winding down at night, or just need a break from life - I love getting lost in puzzle games. Panda Poet is awesome because it's a combination word/strategy game, with relaxing music and lots of adorable pandas!

(Source: Lost Garden)

You can invite friends to play against you, or hop on a local match (which is usually what I do). There's also a small chat box on the left side if you feel like chatting up your opponent. I do recommend going through the tutorial as well. Even though it's a pretty simple game, half of the game is stealing your opponents pandas - which could be a bit confusing for new players.

The only tricky thing is : you need to have a gmail / google account to play. That's it! You have to deal with a few minor ads, but for such a cute game it's a price I'm more than willing to pay for a free game.

The other thing I love is that the games can continue for a long time. If you only have five minutes to play, no big deal - your game will be saved and you can even receive emails when it's your turn to play, if you wish. I like to have about ten games going at all times, so there's always a game for me to come back to. And if you have a great game with someone, you can challenge them to a rematch after the current game is done! Awesome.

I play as CardiganNoir (cardigannoir@gmail.com). If anyone's interested, I'd love to battle you with words! ^-^

Roses In The Walkway

Though the cherry blossoms are all gone, the roses in our walkway have started to bloom - and they're gorgeous! I love having flowers greet me as soon as I walk outside, despite all the bees that like to join the party. It always puts me in a good mood. ^-^

Hopefully these little roses will add some cheer to your day too!

Sweater Love : Mikayla Sweater From BB Dakota

Source: BB Dakota

Orange is definitely not my favorite color, but there's enough black and gray in this piece to make it an acceptable pop of color, instead of the main focus. I think it's super cute, and I'm even down with the tassels! Definitely a fun looking, cozy sweater.

What are your thoughts on orange?

Adventures : Grand Lake Farmers Market

Grand Lake Farmers Market is amazing. Of the four that I know of in the East Bay, this one is the largest and most fun. I'm extra lucky because it's also the closest one to my house! In addition to all the delicious fresh fruits, veggies, cheeses, meats and drinks, there's also a huge selection of flowers, prepared food and food trucks, as well as various handmade pieces of art, jewelry and pottery.

These stackable bowls stole my heart.

Fresh flowers everywhere!

Bicycle Coffee is super delicious, and I'm amazed that their entire stand can be broken down and contained in this little cart. (Which is then pulled along by bicycle!)

This fine gentleman serenaded the crowd with beautiful music - which was very reminiscent of Amelie.

My favorite thing to eat here is from Fleur de Lyon : a Garnet Sweet Potato Brioche, accompanied by a spinach salad drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar dressing.

So many people bring their dogs along to enjoy the festivities, and I love looking at all the little pups almost as much as the Market itself. ^^

My haul from the Farmers Market: mixed greens, scallions, mandarin oranges, pink lady apples, multi-color carrots, boccalone ciauscolo salame, sage cheddar cheese, a peach honey stick (hidden), and pretzel croissants.

This salame is life changing - I don't even like mushrooms, but this is too good to pass up!

Best cheese ever: sage cheddar.

Multi-color carrots - can you see the purple one, hidden at the bottom? I must admit I had never eaten a carrot that wasn't orange before this, but all of these were super tasty.

A Peach Honey stick. It may not look all that impressive, but this simple, sweet & delicious treat has become my new favorite snack.

I'm from the Midwest, so a year round Farmers Market still blows my mind. I hope you all are lucky enough to live near one, but if not I highly recommend stopping at any you might find on your travels. It's super fun! 

Thanks for looking. ^-^

Adventures : Zombie Madness

It started off as such a peaceful day... Kim and I were making coffee & having a little chat, when suddenly - ZOMBIES!

Destroying zombies is fun. ^-^

The Littlest Zombie Killer

Zombies by the gate? No problem, I got this.

Had a very fun photo shoot with Misa, Kim and Jesse to snag some zombie-esque, multi-person shots for her next painting. I realize there's a distinct lack of blood - though there is a small bandage on my left arm! I hope you can let it slide.  :D  I definitely had a blast. (More to come soon.)

Have a great weekend everybody!

Delicious : Spring Inspired Lunch

Today's lunch was super simple, and consisted of a sliced Pink Lady apple, Mandarin oranges, and Fontina cheese - all drizzled with Orange Blossom honey. Yum! It kept me in a very Spring-like mood. 

I've been trying to incorporate way more fruit and honey into my life, and so far it's going well!

Protip: If you happen to also be afflicted with allergies, eating local honey on a regular basis can help - since it's full of the pollens that may be setting your allergies off. It truly needs to be local though, otherwise you'll be training your body to deal with pollens that might not be in your area. ^-^

Spring Is Here!

The tree in our walkway has blossomed, and I'm loving it. <3 

Movies : The Artist

Source: Filmofilia

I managed to go see The Artist a few days before the Oscars, so I was doubly excited to see such a fantastic movie win big. To be honest, I haven't seen nearly enough silent films, but the few that I have seen I've loved - and The Artist is no exception. It's got everything: a cute and quirky romance, beautiful music, sound gags, an adorable dog, fantastic dancing, and the struggle of dealing with changing times.

Source: Evention

Not only are these two gorgeous, they also have extremely expressive faces. (Which is pretty important in a silent film.) As Gloria Swanson famously stated in her portrayal of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard : 

"We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!"

Source: Telegraph

And of course, that adorable dog I mentioned. Every hero needs a sidekick. ^-^

If you're looking for an inspiring film that isn't afraid to deal with matters of the heart and personal struggles, (but manages to end on a happy note - in true Hollywood style) I highly recommend The Artist.

Sweater Love : Cozy Wolf Top

Source: Forever 21

It's no secret that I love wolves. (Foxes run  a close second, but wolves will always win in my book.) 

Though my wardrobe consists of a lot of gray and black, every once in a while I'll throw in a pop of bright pink or teal to keep it interesting - especially if there's an awesome graphic involved. 

This pullover from Forever 21 clocks in at a fantastic $8.99, and was a deal I couldn't pass up.

 I love it! I'll be sure to share pictures whenever it appears in my mailbox.

Keep it wild!