The One About My Egyptian Halloween Costume

When October rolled in, this realization sank in:  Oh no!  Since I'm teaching again, I have to be in costume for Halloween!  And so I trooped to my favorite fabric and craft stores and whipped up a super easy DIY costume.

I decided to go Egyptian because I already had a black dress so all I needed were the head dress, bib, and belt.

 I bought gold fabric, did some measurements, and cut away!

 I cut two pieces of this.

I put half an inch allowances around and sewed the two pieces together, right sides facing each other.

  I folded the outer edge and made small stitches under it so make it look smooth and seamless.

Then I used hot glue to attach the jewel pieces on the bib.

 The belt was easier to make.  Measured my waist, sewed the edges, and glued on the jewels.

 As for the head dress, I saw this in Landmark and snapped it up:

As for the complete costume...teehee...I forgot to take a picture!  Hahaha!  But you do get the idea, don't you?


Teehee,  anyway, I shall be offline for a couple of days.  Our semestral break in school has started and I'm planning to use the entire week to go on a creative retreat.  Won't really be going away, though.  Will just use my time to be creative.  And to dream.  A lot.  :)

See you soon, lovelies!  Happy crafting!

 

The One About the Halloween Mummy Giveaway!

Halloween is just around the corner (a celebration I don't really get why Filipinos celebrate!  What's next, Mardi Gras?)!  However, I'm not one to back out from a craft opportunity.  So, Halloween it is!

Last year, I made these for the Trick-or-Treat activity in our village...

They're broomstick loots filled with candies!  Read about it here.


Since I'm teaching again, I made these mummy giveaways for my students.  I bought Picnik canisters and wrapped each with white paper.

Then I tore tissue paper and wrapped it around the canisters.

Then I added googly eyes!  Mummy!

 

All ready for Trick-or-Treat!

 

Happy crafting, everyone!

Wednesday Nuggets

I'm really loving Social Introverts on Facebook right now.  Here's a parade of pretty quotes on solitude:

This is my favorite...

 

I don't know what it is with the bevy of introvert celebratory quotes.  It must be upcoming semestral break and I cannot wait for it because of the lineup of "me" time activities/tasks I have set for myself, some of which are:

1.  Tea time 
2.  A vegan lunch trip
3.  Making teacher products
4.  Goal-setting for 2013
5.  A much-needed massage
6.  See my "To Read" pile become smaller (I love to read!) 
7.  Do yoga

Or perhaps I just am so happy to be embracing what I am -- a social introvert. :)

Happy midweek!

The One About Mother's Day

My class celebrated Mother's Day last Friday and I decided to hold a simple craft party for the students and their mothers. 

I made a pennant and hung it up in my classroom.

I couldn't get a full shot of the entire pennant so this will have to do.

 

A closer look...
 

I made two birdcages which I hung at each end of the pennant.

 

 Tutorial here.

For the main activity, each mommy and child pair handpainted a tote bag which they got to bring home afterward.


I love craft sessions and I love how the mommies were so game to let their creative juices flow!

Happy crafting!

Wednesday Nugget

 

I have watched Susan Cain's TED talk and I was mesmerized by the things she said.  All I can think of after watching her talk was that it was okay to be an introvert.  In fact, I should celebrate the fact that I am.  In a society that celebrates extrovert-attributed successes, it was astonishing to realize that quiet, shy, and solitude-loving individuals are behind a number of remarkable successes as well.  I can't wait to read Susan Cain's book but that will have to wait until my self-imposed book-buying ban is lifted.  Teehee.  Until then, I will content myself with Cain's TED talk and this lovely nugget on solitude.

Happy midweek, lovelies. :)

P.S.  Sorry for the blurry photo.  It was meant to just be small. :)

Let's Go on a Date: September 2012

The weather last September had been uncooperative so Hon-some and I went out on our September date just yesterday.  We were off to Bonifacio Global City and just as we were getting ready, we noticed how nice the weather was outside.  So we decided to have a nephew tag along.

We showed the little one the playground at Terra 28th (I wrote about it here).

 

 Guess who had more fun? :)

We browsed at the books at Fully Booked.  I'm on a book-buying ban (again!) because of the all the books I bought during the bookstore sales and the Manila International Book Fair so I had to content myself with smelling the pages of the books at Fully Booked.  Hehe.

Then we were off to Slice at Bonifacio High Street Central.  It's that quaint and charming restaurant owned by Senator Pia Cayetano.  Like our other dates, this has been prepaid so we just ordered away!

 
 

 Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

 Beef Rice Melt

The food was pleasantly good!  Hon-some and I couldn't stop raving about it all the way home!  After eating, we indulged in the rich desserts that Slice is well-known for:

 Red Velevet Cupcake for Hon-some, Candyland Cupcake for Enzo, and Choco Yema Cupcake for me!

I've been keen on trying the Choco Yema Cupcake after reading all the hype on the blogs.  Boy, it did not disappoint!  The cupcake was moist and not too sweet and the yema icing was to die for!  It was so good I bought three more to go!  Hahaha!

How's that for a fun weekend date?  I've been thinking about how our dates have been going really well.  They all have been memorable and inexpensive.  Can't wait for our October date!

Wednesday Nugget

 

How about a hearty laugh on a Wednesday?

It's raining outside.  Be safe, lovelies.  :)

Photo from here.

The One About the Wedding Boutonniere

A dear friend of mine is getting married next year and she asked me to make samples of boutonnieres for the groomsmen.  Her wedding motif is blush and silver-gray and she wanted a vintage-themed celebration.  Vintage-themed weddings are the best, in my opinion.  It evokes so much love and intimacy unlike other themes that border on extravagance and pretenses.

So anyway, when I was brainstorming for the designs of the boutonnieres, I thought of the concept of "key to my heart."  Really, what could be more vintage than that?

I came up with two samples.  This is Boutonniere 1:

And this is Boutonniere 2:

 Note to self:  Be mindful not to expose the holes of the pearls.  Haha!

 See what I mean?

I used a vintage-looking fabric to cover the key.

I used regular keys for the samples but when everything is finalized, I'd love to use those vintage skeleton keys.  I hope I can find a handful of those by then.

Happy crafting, everyone!