Handmade

I have recently become obsessed with ALL things handmade. I have close to a hundred tutorials either bookmarked or cataloged in my head for future projects. Every time I read blogs (daily) I find a new idea for a christmas gift, home decor, baby present, and the list goes on and on. Between graduate school 9 hours a week, work about 40 hours a week, and a boyfriend who lives 45 min away...I don't make much time to even organize my thoughts.

However, with such little time, Kevin and I have begun to multi-task. One Sunday we both worked at his office--him on a proposal and me on a school assignment. Then this weekend we watched the football game "together" while I worked on my current craft project {to be posted later}.

One of my only completed projects was put together for my best friend who at the time was preparing to move to Texas for her first real nursing job! {She has now moved and I am SO proud of her for following her dreams!!} I thought this clock would be a nice addition to her new place. I got the tutorial from one of my favorite crafting blogs Make It and Love It.

These are my first fabric flowers that I had been dying to try to make. They turned out okay...a little too much hot glue residue, but they are SUPER easy to make. I just need a bit more practice.

I have begun to realize that my projects only come together when the deadline is a gift for someone. I have at least 5 homemade gifts lined up for Christmas, so I better get started sometime. I am about to finish a Fall wreath that I will hang up in my room and will post pictures on that soon! I also just uploaded pictures from the past few months that I will post soon as well.

Seattle is BEAUTIFUL in the fall. I am already very cold; nonetheless, the leaves all over the ground and falling from the trees are just amazing and I smile as my feet brush through them as I walk to my bus at 7 am in the dark... I am happy now, but it's supposed to snow this winter and that will be another story.

The beginning and end..

Let me tell you a story about a relationship that began and ended this summer.

It was a beautiful Seattle summer day (which for you people in AZ...that means it was about 80 degrees with a slight breeze). I finally had a day off work and I planned to venture into new territory.

I dressed in my messiest clothing and it was then that I met him. He wasn't tall, dark, or handsome. But a little more rustic and old fashioned. Something about that intrigued me.

We spent a 4 solid hours together roaming around my front and back lawns -- soaking up the sun.

The beginning was a thrill. It took awhile to get him started, but once I did we were on a roll! I really felt like he was helping me accomplish a lifelong goal. He single-handedly helped me feel so proud of myself.

By the end, I was sweaty, dirty, and tired. He didn't make my job very easy. And, when things got tough, he would just shut off. Who wants that?

It was then and there that our relationship came to an abrupt stop. I decided that this was probably something that should never happen again.

Please meet Mortimer.

He is the trusty (or not so much) lawn mower that (not so helpfully) helped me master this...

{my backyard} Along with the front yard that has a beautiful (terrible) hill. We completed the job in the quick time of FOUR hours.

Mowing the lawn is a task that I just might NEVER do again.

Mortimer, our time together was short and sweet. Please never bother me again. Thanks.

Long time gone

Well I haven't posted in forever. I visited AZ at the end of August and then started work and then started school and life hasn't stopped.

A little update on the hair experiment. I have determined that the weather in WA changes too much to make this experiment very consistent, but I'm still trying new things.

After I tried the creamy Garnier shampoo from the last post. I tried this (Herbal Essences - Body Envy volumizing shampoo) :

I read (somewhere) that to control oily hair it helps to use clear shampoos versus creamy because they contain less oil. I have to say that I didn't see a significant difference, but this shampoo did help my roots not sit flat (it's a volumizing shampoo), so that helps something?

Anyway, I moved on to this (Paul Mitchell - Shampoo 2):

The bottle indicated that it cleanses any build-up from hair products, which helps eliminate oil. This shampoo definitely has been phenomenal, yet it is a little pricier. What I have found that keeping this shampoo in for at least a minute before rinsing it out really helps eliminate oil. Also, I only use very little conditioner (I needed to get over the fact that it would take a little longer to comb out the tangles). My hair now lasts for longer before sitting flat and getting oily, which is nice! I use the Paul Mitchell one most of the time and the herbal essences sometimes too (to save money).

I also have some tea tree shampoo I got when I was in AZ that I will try more when these shampoos run out.

I also just bought this (TIGI Rockaholic - Dry Shampoo):

I had never heard of dry shampoos before, but they are apparently the more expensive version of baby powder for eliminating oil between shampoos. We'll see how well it works! I also have read a lot online about washing your hair less eliminates oil along with using Apple Cider Vinegar and eggs?? to wash your hair. I haven't been brave enough to try those yet, but maybe over winter break when I am not forced to go into public.

I plan to be back blogging now and have many things I'd like to share! Quick update: I love my job at the Experimental Education Unit on campus at UW. I am an aide in a kindergarten classroom and am loving every day of it! Graduate school is...school and Seattle is already getting cold!! AH! Can't wait to share all my stories from the last 2 months.

Already late..

I already missed the mark on starting my experiment, which I am pretty bummed about.

After church yesterday I began intensely cleaning our kitchen and before I knew it I had to leave to babysit. I have to be at work by 7:30 Mon - Wed, so I didn't feel like staying up to blog last night either. Anyway, no one cares for the excuses, so let me lay out my experiment for ya!

The specimen: my too fine, too oily, blonde hair (I'll post a picture at some point?)

The goal: Debunk some oily hair remedy myths while discovering which works best for me!

Procedure: I will try a new remedy each week starting Tuesday August 3

Dependent Variable: I will (to the best of my subjective ability) keep a log of when my hair begins to feel heavier, oily, and so on. This is obviously (and painfully) subjective, but this experiment is mostly for my own sanity because of how much my hair drives me crazy.

Controls:
- Wash hair every other day (I am too lazy to stray from my lifestyle)
- Amount of Shampoo/Remedy = 2 silver dollars worth
- Amount of Scrubbing (scrubbing too much stimulates hair follicles which creates more oil!) = about 30 seconds
- Time w/ shampoo in hair (leaving shampoo in for longer supposedly destroys more build-up) = about a minute
- Amount + placement of Conditioner (I will use the same conditioner throughout..posted below) = 1 silver dollar worth on bottom 2 - 3 inches of hair
- Time between shower and blow dry = about 10 - 15 minutes - Blow dry with round brush + straighten every other day
- Use silver dollar size of these 2 products:

The first is Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Repair Rescue Sealed Ends, which is self explanatory. I put it on my ends!

The other is Catwalk Fashionista Smooth & Shine, which is supposed to protect my hair against the heat of the blow dryer and straightener. I use it all over but try not to get any on my roots.

Other details: I will keep track of the weather conditions because that will greatly affect my hair. This is obviously something I can't control (Seattle looks to be very cloudy this week, but we'll still go for it)

You may already be bored and be thinking...why do we care about this? You don't have to care. This is more to document for my own sake and anyone who thinks this may be fun. I don't mind if this category only includes my parents (and Kevin for sympathy sake).

I am going to establish a baseline (figure out how quickly my hair becomes oily with a typical shampoo) with my current shampoo (along with conditioner) which is this:

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo & Conditioner for Color-treated or Permed Hair (Yeah...I used to think my hair needed moisture. What a mistake).


If you are even still reading, I will begin this tomorrow and post next Monday on the results of the first week. Let me know if you can think of anything else I may need to control! I realize that this is silly (and crazy nerdy), but humor me as I put my countless hours of learning the scientific method to practical use. (even though I know this experiment would make my thesis adviser screech...)