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Showing posts from February, 2013

Be You Thrift Town Sale

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What better way to begin March than with a Thrift Town sale? Check it out, 30 percent off all clothing this Friday.

T-Shirt Sugery: Off-the-Shoulder with The Dollyrots

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T-shirt surgery is one of my favorite things. Turning a standard tee into an off-the-shoulder tee is one of the simplest such surgeries because fabric scissors are the only required supplies. For this project, I altered my new Dollyrots T-shirt, which was part of my Valentine's Day present. At their Sacramento Bows & Arrows show, the band offered a T-shirt, vinyl album and digital copy of the album for just $15. Sweet.   Step 1: Lay the shirt on a flat surface.  On the front of the shirt, cut a half circle or "scoop" between the sleeve seams. I like to cut a couple inches in from the sleeve seams so I have room to correct any jagged lines. I cut, check the fit, and then cut more. Step 2: Cut a straight line along the back of the shirt, just below the collar seam. The start and end points of this cut should match the same points of the scoop cut. The straight cut keeps the shirt from slipping too far down your shoulders. It helps to have a d

Valentine's Day Gift: Homemade Peppermint Sugar Scrub

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Exfoliate the skin with this super easy and super cheap DIY gift. You Need Granulated white sugar Extra virgin olive oil Peppermint essential oil Jar Step 1. Wash and dry jar. Step 2. Mix together 3 cups white granulated sugar with 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. Almond oil also works. Step 3. Add approximately 10 drops of peppermint oil.  Step 4. Divide scrub into two bowls. Add food coloring to create desired colors. Step 5. Funnel the scrub into the jar, laying your color choices. This are just general guidelines. The scrub should feel soft but not too oily. I mainly used salsa jars and covered the lids with red Duck Tape. I printed the labels on the computer and added peppermint stickers for decoration. The only thing I purchased specifically for this project was the peppermint essential oil. I found it locally on sale at the Vitamin Shoppe .

Valentine's Day Crafts: Snow Globes

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At Christmas time this past year, it was jar-crazy in our kitchen and dining room. We had saved jars all year long for crafty presents. We made snow globes, jars of sugar scrub and jars filled with snowmen made of homemade no-bake cookies and fudge. You can turn any one of these thrifty crafts into a cute Valentine's Day gift. The snow globe, especially, is nice for a sentimental present because you can put your sweetie's favorite character, animal or place in the snow globe. Adapt it to the lovers' holiday by using red or pink glitter rather than white for the snow. Or, use heart-shaped confetti instead of glitter. Snow Globe Jars: Madame Alexander doll from a McDonald's Kid's Meal. You Need: Jar with lid Hot glue or other strong, water-proof glue Figurine Water Glitter Step 1. Pick a figurine to put in the jar and ensure the base of the figurine fits inside the bottom of the jar's lid and that the figurine fits easily within the jar wh

Screw Football, Give Me the Arts!

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I know today was a big day for football fans, especially all the local 49ers' fans. When I was very young, I remember rooting for the Niners, although I never actually cared to watch the game. I had a little pink cheerleading outfit and everything. It was always more about the clothes for me. This is not to say I'm one of those anti-sports punk rockers. I have loved the Sacramento Kings through good seasons and all those really terrible seasons. I enthusiastically watch the Olympics. I write fitness articles for a living and have authored around a hundred on my area of expertise, gymnastics. I just don't get football. I've always got the arts. So when my friend Tracy mentioned she had comp tickets for a show at the B Street Theatre, where she is the stage manager, I was game. Since it was the family play Anastasia Krupnik , based on the children's book by Lois Lowry (author of The Giver ), I figured my mom might enjoy it, knowing my husband would not. My mom d