The First Five Pages

Went into Sea of Shoes.
I don't think I came back out.  Once you start reading it...you can't back out.  There is no escape.  The black hole of fashion!  :-)
I call this "the first five pages" because these are only photos from the first five pages. Der.  I was too overwelmed with the SOS's perfectness.

One shoulder "detective" dress with cool necklace

Snazzy black heels with mid-way points

Light blue sweater, mini and knee-length lace over skirt with green sandal heels and pink clutch

The perfect hang out/porch that I wish was mine (and so does she, this isn't her's!  She was looking for inspiration)

Tan trench and navy blue patterned knee-length dress with beautiful brown heels

Black/white ruffle skirted dress with gold necklace and bracelet.

White pants and tunic with beautiful silver sandles.

SOS Fever 1

Sod Squad and Team ??? and My Morning

Hi!
In about half an hour I'm going to be going to the meeting of two groups combined: Sod Squad and Team ???.  Sod Squad (here by called ss) is a garden/outdoors group where we, um, doing outdoors stuff.  Since I joined mid-season I'm helping my friend Elena with her garden, which includes muskmelon (practically cantaloupe) and sunflowers.  Plus, we get to get wet so how bad can it be?

Team ??? isn't anything...sorry I just saw a guy on a pick-up sized red lawn mover talking animatedly into a cellphone... really.  A couple friends and I are banding together to participate in the

Cardboard Boat Race!

We construct, water proof (no tape - coating allowed), and "sail" (actually paddle) our boat, made from cardboard (surprise, surprise) on Willow pond...and try to survive it.  Don't worry, all participants are issued a life vest...but that doesn't mean some of us (or all, who knows) are going to get VERY wet.  VERY.

Spent the morning playing/hanging with my two old/new friends Madison and Gracen, both of who I was in girl scouts with in Germany.  Anyway, with chit-chatted, played with my hexbugs (small, amusing electronic bugs), and I SO crushed them in Mariokart.  By a long shot.  :-)  We love our Mariokart.

Speaking of Mariokart, if your racing style is like my racing style, the Wild Wing Kart is the best kart, Peach is the best driver, the Mach Bike is the best bike, and if for some reason SOMEBODY wants to be Peach then be Koopa Troopa (simply because he's a cute little thing) and use the Tiny Titan (won by playing and beating a "fast" player when doing time trial mode).  It's a bit heavy and the drift is horrible so don't use it on something like the Rainbow Road (just don't do Rainbow Road in general) but it'll serve you well.  I love Mariokart, as you can tell.

Well, gotta roll, bye.  Hope you enjoyed.

Look at this link NOW!!!

http://www.powtoon.com/p/cydLh6ba2Id/

Stained Glass Long-Term Project

Another School Project -
A stained glass window.  Actually pretty easy, cheap, and of course, gorgeous room decor.  I've broken down the instructions into 6 easy parts - prepping, compute work, sizing, liquid leading, painting, and finalizing.

Home-made Stained Glass Window Instructions
Things Needed:

• Plexiglass (can be found at a hardware store and some arts&crafts stores)
• Liquid lead (can be found at Michaels or Online or at other art stores)
• Printer (black and white is ok)
• Lots of Paper
• Pencil
• X-acto Knife (Michaels and home depot/lowes)
• Frog Tape (or other easy removable tapes)
• Regular, clear scotch tape
• Scizzors or paper cutter
• Markers or colored pencils
• Internet access
• Toothpicks
• Lots of patience and time

Prepping:

• Make sure you have a lot of time.  Stained Glass paint takes AT LEAST a month to cure.  Also include how long it will take to do the other parts, like the liquid leading which will have to cure for a full 24 hours AT LEAST.
• Have a work space.  This is a place where you can keep your supplies out and also let the stained glass paint cure.  Make sure this isn't a very well needed place but somewhere somewhat comfortable to sit.  Also try to keep it out of reach of small fingers and paws.
• Read all the instructions BEFORE you start.  It's a pain to have to continually check to know that you are doing the right thing.
• Open up your paint bottles and make sure they work.  If it's not the right color, or gloopy (it's supposed to self-level) return it now.

Part 1 (Computer):

1. Go to Google Images to find your design.  Make sure it is something not too complicated, especially if you are a beginner.
2. Change to a word or pages document.  Print this and make sure it is the one you want.
3. If it is, color it with colored pencils or markers.  Once you get the right color combo, keep it on hand in case you need a reference while you are painting.
4. Change to a PDF file and make it as big as you want (it helps if you already know what size you want to make it)
5. Print.
6. Trim off extra paper and tape the pages together to make sure they are securely together.

Part 2 (Sizing):

1. Measure twice.  If you are doing a rose window (circle) measure it like a square.  Give at least an inch of "extra" space.
2. Cut your plexiglass.  Do not use scissors!  You only end up ruining the blades and the plexiglass.  Use the X-acto Knife!
3. Set plexiglass aside.  Also, keep a couple trimmings for future use.

Part 3 (Liquid Leading):

1. Wait!!!  Before you start leading, read the instructions on the company's website or on the back of the bottle.  Some paints don't mix!  Take the time to do your research now or possibly regret it later.
2. Prepare your workspace.  Use your frog tape to first tape down the paper design of your stained glass, then the plexiglass over it.  Use as much as needed...and then some.  Messing up is a big no-no.
3. Do a couple "practice leadings".  This you can do on a piece of paper or on a scrap of plexiglass.  DO NOT drag the bottle along the paper.  This isn't tooth paste on your tooth brush here!  Actually hold the bottle about a quarter of an inch to half of an inch above the paper/plexiglass.  To stop, bring down gently.
4. Start leading your stained glass!  Take your time.  Go left to right, top to bottom.  Make sure NOT to touch it.
5. Use a tooth pick to remove any drips before they start to dry.
6. If the lead becomes really hard to get out, bang it against the counter about ten times.  Try it now!
7. DO NOT touch the lead for AT LEAST twenty four hours after you did them.  It could ruin them. 
8. DO NOT remove frog tape.

Part 4 (Painting):

1. Begin by making a color tester.  Do this on one of those plexiglass scraps.  Make sure the leading is dry.  Practice.
2. Paint!  Don't use a paint brush, just squeeze it directly onto the plexiglass.  Refer to your color paler and marker "stained glass".
3. You can do patterns with the tip of the bottle!  Swirl your paint around and be creative.
4. Allow 72 hours for the paint to dry.

Finalizing:

1. Remove the frog tape once it has dried.
2. The paint calls for a month to fully cure but it can be ouched after 72 hours.  Wait till has fully cured to hang it up.
3. Punch two holes in the top of your stained glass and slip a chain through.
4. Hang up your beautiful stained glass and enjoy!

The Bubble Gum Balloon

For a frustrating but worth it...
...School project we bought and decorated a balloon.  Mine had a basket weighted down with bubble gum, alas the name "The Bubble Gum Balloon".  This is actually a really good project idea so I will  have to give you instructs on how to do it.
In the mean time, let me show you some pictures on how it turned out.  Here they are.  I found a photo editing app on Mom's laptop that is totally cool so I was messing with that for the photos.

Total Update

I am really sorry.
There have been a whole bunch of issues getting on the internet and actually using it so I haven't been able to post.  Just checking my email was hard enough.
Mom's computer had some glitch and so it didn't connect to the internet.  We didn't have internet in Texas for about a five weeks or so.  On top of all that, I sort kinda probably a little bit oopys daisy...broke my iPad!!!  I dropped it in Lowe's and now the screen is black.  I am the one who's going to pay to get it fixed and I'm going to have to wipe out ALL my savings and then some to pay.  Some body's going to be penny pinching for another two years again.
Anyway, for those of you who don't have a Facebook account let me catch you up with what's been going on.  After all, I have moved already.

1. The movers came.  They were actually a really good batch of movers, although they sorta kinda FORGOT a whole cabinet of dishes and all our silverware.
2. We drove cross country.  Fun.  Actually, it was more fun than I expected.  I got to go in a ride in a little airplane, eat dinner with old friends, hang out 360 ft in the air while in St. Louis (the arch is SO cool and a really fun trip) plus play Minion Rush um...a lot.  It was NOT very fun for Mom because
1. She hates driving
2. She doesn't like benign solely in charge
3. They (United Communities, the people in charge of housing) called us and said that we had been assigned house #30.  #30 turned out to a one-story HANDICAPPED house.  Of course she (Mom) totally panicked because we had planned for the two-story REGULAR house.  It turned out that they (UC) didn't even know that it was a handicapped house and gave them another house, which made Mom annoyed because there are only three handicapped houses of that kind on base and how hard can it be to keep track of them all?
4. She didn't get a lot of sleep one night because there was a foul-languaged argument RIGHT outside our door (I was asleep which I am glad for now because apparently it was REALLY foul-languaged) and then at like 2 a.m. there was a sort of party, and so she called the motel owners and they sorted it out and CALLED HER BACK to tell her that it was sorted out.  Seriously.  I mean, c'mon!
3. We got a house!  This is exciting.  We've never gotten a house this fast before.  Plus, it's the house we actually expected (yay) and it's in a really good location.  It has a fenced backyard (our only request) and it's in a REALLY good location.  You see it's a twenty minutes walk, ten minute bike ride to my bff Elena's house (I went to a sleep over with her last night) and to two minute walk to my long-lost girl scout friends (yes, I was a girl scout!  That goes to show how long-lost these friends are) who are awesome.  Plus five minute easy walk to the church (Saturday night mass here I come...!)

That it.  Anyway, enjoy what's left of your school year and your weekend!  Hope you are having the  same luck I am because is turning out to be the best move ever!!!