Plans & Goals: June

We've had a couple sunny days, but this May hasn't been as nice as I remembered most Mays. Perhaps that's why I (subconsciously) made mostly indoor goals for June as well. I do hope to spend time outside, but hopefully I'll also still:

Continue watching Joan of Arcadia. (Should be easy!) But still save some episodes. (Might be harder...)

Place some books in a Little Free Library.

Visit my favorite ice cream parlor.

Finally finish knitting my owl sweater.

Read another graphic novel.

Try a new recipe.

Finish up a bunch of teas from my cupboard.

Make a zentangle with a twist.

And post a super tidy organizing tutorial...

What are your plans for this month? I hope you'll have a great time in June!

Late Birthday Recap

Even though I should have done this many weeks ago, I'm only sharing my birthday gifts and pictures with you now. It was quite a relaxed day and I also had a lovely little party a few days after. Anyway, here are some pictures!

If you're a long time follower of my blog you might have seen a very similar cake before. They had green ones in spring or for Easter or something, but when my birthday came round they had the pink again. Not complaining though, it is absolutely gorgeous! And it actually looked much better in my pink home than the green ever would have.

Tofu was a little disappointed he didn't get his own slice though. But he did enjoy the gift ribbons a lot! Anyway, I received some beautifully packaged items from a very dear friend. The bunny box in the first picture was hers too.

I didn't really mentioned this to anyone I invited to my party, but I was really hoping for gifts that didn't take up too much space, were useful or even edible.  Somehow they all picked out perfect things anyway. Like these chocolates!

Another edible gift was this awesome jar of cookie ingredients. I look forward to using it up, but I also enjoy the way it looks in my kitchen. So I'll keep it as decoration for a while longer... until the cookie-craving becomes too strong.

The same friend gave me an amazing notebook that has cute tabs, a zipper pocket and even little folders to hold pictures and loose papers. She also included some magnetic bookmarks that actually match the notebook very well.

These gifts were wrapped in a gift bag with a beautiful crocheted butterfly (which is now gracing my door). And inside I found not only the quirkiest knitting book I'd ever seen. But also an invite to a Burlesque Show! (Which I've always wanted to visit!)

Next up was another dream come true, or maybe more accurately… a nightmare averted. Growing up I just adored Joan of Arcadia. I had always remained sad about it getting cancelled, and I was also afraid I'd never get to see it again (because the DVDs weren't released here). I now have both seasons to watch over and over and over again. I'm so happy!

The same friend also gifted me this amazing owl shirt. I actually blogged about it a while back. It looked so pretty on the picture online, but it's even better in real life. The fabric has such an interesting blend of colors and it's super soft.

Lastly I got my first ever Lush gift box. It contained mostly items I had never tried before, and I'm loving all of them. The shower jelly smells amazing! And the shampoo will probably be a re-buy for me once I finish this bar.

I also got a few items that aren't shown here… some amazing Japanese cookies, a remote for my camera, and I'm actually still getting a nice new water boiler from my mom, but we haven't been able to go shopping for one yet...

Lovely Movies: Big Game

Watching Samuel L. Jackson movies is pretty much a family tradition with me and my mom. Now it's not often we get to see him play a lead role on the big screen. So we wasted no time and went to see Big Game. It was awesome!

Not only was the other hero of this movie a kid, but there was a nice balance between a crazy plot and quite realistic action scenes. Yes, it was an over-the-top roller coaster ride, but some very silly things made it way more believable.

There was only one tiny thing that nagged me. This movie must have had a huge budget. So why was the framed wall of fame in the last scene a series of repeat pictures? Did they think no one would notice? It's all in the details, people! Anyway, don't let that little rant put you off. If you like Sam and you like action movies, definitely do watch this one!

Inside my Sketchbook

A while ago I posted my first Zentangle endeavor, it has since become a wonderful hobby that I practice almost daily. It's something I often do in the evenings, when I'm sitting in a waiting room or if I just have a spare moment.

Even though I still find it relaxing, I do have to admit that my earlier statement of it not having "any pressure whatsoever" is not totally valid anymore. I did cut myself loose from the book and am drawing more freely, but as a perfectionist I do find myself wanting to get better and better at it. I'm currently working on improving the 3D effect.

I'm not playing by the exact rules. I often make up my own patterns and elements, and I try out different shapes and sizes. I've also treated myself to a very nice pen set that has given me more options than just the 0.4 I started out with.

These pictures are all from my first sketchbook. I'm actually now on my third, so I might post a peek into that second book soon. Anyway, I thought it was a nice touch to tangle on the book cover as well, and I do love the result!

I also occasionally venture out of my books and try bigger scale tangles. The one below is quite large. It also has some shading that I think really makes it pop. Since, I've actually experimented with a bunch more shading techniques.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little peek inside my sketchbook. There will probably be more posts like this in the future as I have no plans of quitting this hobby anytime soon. In fact, I'm sure I'll make one or two more this very evening.

King's Day Loot

This year I've grown a lot stricter about the number of items that enter my house, but I make exceptions on certain occasions. An obvious one was King's Day. The one day a year people sell their stuff for very, very low prices...

Now I did only get things I really really wanted. And I even got a few things for free. Anyway, I think I paid 5 bucks for this whole pile of books, not bad right? One of those books was already in an online cart for more than that.

And I can not tell you how many times I nearly bought a copy of The Great Gatsby… There were so many stunning covers that I couldn't choose! This one, however, is probably the prettiest one I've seen so far. And it even contained a hidden treasure. The book itself isn't old at all, but inside I did find a vintage snapshot of someone's vacation...

Another great score was this record! It's in quite a good condition and only cost 50 cents. And even though it has me incredibly excited, I still haven't managed to take it for a spin yet. But I plan on doing so sometime this week!

One of the shows I really miss since quitting my cable is Castle. So when I found five seasons for the price of one new one, I didn't have to think for long. I've been binge-watching the episodes ever since. It is such a great show!

My goal for the day was to get some good deals on things that would entertain me for quite a while after. Especially tv-shows because those are a whole lot pricier new. Anyway, I consider this mission greatly accomplished!

Owl Things Considered

VaniLlamaArt makes breathtakingly beautiful and very original statement necklaces. They look so detailed and well made, and the idea of the feather-beads is very clever. I also love the way the maker plays with the colors.

I think the barn owls are absolutely adorable. I'm sure I'm not alone in that, because they have sold out. However, there is still another gorgeous owl in the shop at this very moment. One with some amazing color changes.

Anyway, if you like what you see here, you'd better keep an eye on the VaniLlamaArt shop. The artist shows some amazing skills with her polymer clay. She also has this incredibly intriguing insect set for instance… So check it out.

P.S. I just found out she has a blog as well! You can find it here.

(mtb) Enjoy What You Have and Stop Saving Perishables

When you acquire a luxurious or exotic item, what do you? Enjoy it right away and finish it up soon? Or do you save it for special occasions, use up tiny bits at a time, and finally throw it out because it has expired or dried up completely?

I've gotten better at it over the years, but -as I found while organizing- the latter still happened quite recently to limited editions/seasonal items I bought and savored too slowly or saved for too long because I kept waiting for the perfect moment. I've learnt my lesson and now use every awesome thing I own that might otherwise await a similar fate.

For instance, I had saved an amazing chocolate-scented all-natural body lotion, but I'm now using it a few times a week and am absolutely loving it! If I run out of it before a special occasion, I'm sure I'll survive. At the very least the pain of not having it then will be a lot smaller than the guilt and sadness I'd have when I'd have to throw it out.

Besides, special occasions are often exactly the times you forget to use those sorts of things anyway. In my experience I get too caught up in special occasions to even bother remembering to bring out the special treats I had been saving.

I just had a conversation about this with a friend. She uttered the very wise words "you are never going to regret enjoying something." So true. So true! So do yourself a favor. Use things now. Make every day a special occasion.

Are you naturally good at this sort of thing? Or is it a mistake you've made a lot too? If so, was it eye-opening at least? And if you have managed to shake this misguided habit, do you find it freeing as well?

~

In "making things better" I share what is helping me better my life while hopefully inspiring others in the process. It might include things that either don't apply to you, or that you disagree with. That is fine too. Read it, think about it, and decide for yourself whether it can also make things better for you.

P.S. To keep the conversation open and easily accessible to everyone, I'll reply to your comments in the comments. 

Drumroll, Please...

 The Blippo giveaway to win three very Kawaii items ended a little while ago, but I thought I'd do a quick post to wrap things up. The winner has already been notified, and the lucky lady to receive these items was Sweet Tidings!

Anyway, be sure to check out the winner's blog. It is absolutely wonderful and actually pretty Kawaii too! And also pay a visit to Blippo if Kawaii items make you happy, because they have a ton of lovely things. From trinkets to edibles to useful things in cute colors and with pretty decorations. And all with free shipping worldwide!

Made My Day

Cher turned 69 yesterday and because of it there was a tribute to her on the Huffington Post. In it I suddenly spotted Michael Jackson, so I immediately searched YouTube. Turns out they did a Jackson 5 medley together in the 70s!

I had never heard of the clip, nor did I ever expect to see that combination. What a wonderful surprise! There's also a -very rehearsed- clip of little Michael at Sonny and Cher's but that wasn't hardly as surprising as them singing together.

Lovely Movies: Jimi: All is by My Side

Biopics are always hard. Apart for Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, most actors can't seem to really capture the person they have to portray. Now I can't say Andre Benjamin looks exactly like Jimi Hendrix, but he did do a good job.

One of the things that most impressed me was his voice, but he also had some mannerisms down and captured his essence quite well. Anyway, this film isn't perfect, but it did give a great taste of the whole 60s music atmosphere.

The director also put in some original childhood pictures and he sometimes did weird things with the sound of the movie, like mute it or put in other sounds. It made for a very interesting movie. So it's definitely worth the watch!

Giveaway Reminder -> Blippo

There are still a couple of days left to join in on the Blippo giveaway and possibly win some very kawaii items:)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Plans & Goals: May

I'm not too ambitious at the moment. It's not that I am dreading May, but I just don't think I'll be able to cross anything very big off my list this month. With that in mind, I figured I'd just make some tiny goals. I'd like to:

• Share a few pictures of my birthday (presents).
• As well as some things I bought on King's Day.
• Announce a winner for the Blippo giveaway.
• Go see Insurgent.
• Finish part two of the Mistborn Trilogy.
• Blog a few more "Making Things Better"-posts.
• Put in more effort to meditate.
• Eat some pantry items that are taking up space.
• And hopefully cast on a summery knitting project.

I'd love to hear your plans too! What are you up to this month?

Finding Vivian Maier

The story of Vivian Maier is extremely interesting, as is the story of how her work was quite recently discovered. I was very intrigued by the documentary about her stunning work and the unusual circumstances of her posthumous fame.

Eight years ago John Maloof found a random box of negatives in an auction. He was blown away by what he found and ended up tracing the rest of Vivian Maier's pictures, her life's story, and bringing her work to the public.

I was very sad to find out I actually just missed an exposition of her work in my city, but I only found out about her after that had closed down. Either way, this documentary was well worth watching. It has it's darker moments as well, but it was just incredibly captivating to hear all about such a complicated and solitary photographic genius.

(mtb) Decluttering: Starting Easy

For as long as I can remember I've had a hard time letting go of items. And I also really loved the thrill of getting something new. The perfect recipe for a vicious cycle… a cycle I'm now breaking by making downsizing my belongings a new priority. I started with something that's easy for me to part with. Toiletries.

~

I had (ok, have) quite a big stockpile of skincare and cosmetics. However, I read that you can not keep those things for ever, studies show even sealed ones "go bad" eventually. So I went through my stuff and threw out the vast majority of what I had. Open bottles that had been in my shower forever and that I either didn't like or that had begun to look a little dodgy; Lush products that had expired years ago; any usused things I had had for way too long… (I figured that if you know a certain store/brand has had a few label changes since, it is probably time to throw it out.)

There were also things that were still good, but I knew I would not get any use out of them myself, because I switched to natural products. Most of those I've already given away,  the small remainder I'll offer to other people soon.

I care about the environment a great deal. I recycle, try to eat as organic and animal-friendly as I can, and to waste as little as possible. Throwing something in the garbage is a huge deal for me. But I flicked a switch recently. Where I can I will always sell, donate or give things away, but if something is useless to anyone else and I'm only hanging on to it and letting it get even older, I'll have to throw it out eventually… So why not cut out those extra 3, 5, 10 years it would be lying in some cupboard taking up precious space, and just throw it out now?

Hopefully soon I will have minimal stock and only things in use that I actually like and that are working for me.

I'd love to hear from you! Are you in the same situation? Is it bugging you or is it more of a dormant problem? And do you think this is an easy place to start, or would you tackle something else first?

~

In "making things better" I share what is helping me better my life while hopefully inspiring others in the process. It might include things that either don't apply to you, or that you disagree with. That is fine too. Read it, think about it, and decide for yourself whether it can also make things better for you.

Owl Things Considered

If you do any drawing or painting you might be familiar with the stress of a blank page or canvas. So how Tommy Craggs doesn't get overwhelmed when he sees a blank tree, I have no idea. But he sure knows how to work magic.

If you're worried about the trees... He never cuts them down for the purpose of carving them, he uses dead pieces, found after storms for example, or trees that had to be cut for woodland management. So there's no harm done.

From what I gather, he is a self-taught artist that used to work in forestry and decided to put his skills in wood to a more artistic use. And as you can see, he likes to make owls! He does many other animals and scenes as well though.

You can follow him on Facebook to stay updated on his new works. Or check out his website for a beautiful gallery of things he has made in the past. Also, if you live in the UK you might be able to see him work at events sometimes.

Giveaway Time! -> Blippo

Today I have some great news for those of you that were very excited about my recent Blippo review. Because they are back with a new batch of items, this time for a giveaway!

One winner will receive a pack of caramel panda cookies, a pink OMG kerychain and some watermelon hair clips.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!